To Heal the Wounded
by Sheeva1331
Summary: I created this just for fun; Shino and Hinata are exiled from Konoha, and move to Sunagakure. They have a son named Kiba Aburame. Kankuro adopts an abused child to raise as his own, named Sheeva. This is about Kiba and Sheeva. R&R please!
1. Death and Birth are Tied

This is my first time submitting this, so please forgive me if something gets lost or if it is confusing.

**Disclaimer: **

I do not own Naruto or any of its contents.

This story contains very graphis scenes of child abuse, and possibly adult content in later chapters. If you do not like to read such things, move on to something else. i will not be held responsible for any offence that this does.

Please note: Renoah and Sheeva are my characters. you may use them if you wish, i don't care. just don't claim them as your own characters, please.

Thank you.

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Chapter 1

In Sunagakure Village…

A baby child was born to a black haired woman, who was nearly dead from exhaustion. The father was nowhere nearby, and she was in the hospital in the delivery room. The mother screamed as she gave a final push and finished delivering the baby. The doctors cut the umbilical cord, and wrapped it in towels, setting it in a tiny make-shift crib.

"I…. I won't… make it… give her… give Sheeva to… Renoah…." The mother whispered to the nurse holding her hand before closing her eyes for the final time. The nurse sighed and bowed her head. It wasn't any use to try and save her; the woman had lost too much blood, and used the last of her energy to deliver the three-month-premature child.

The doctors commenced taking care of the child, and the nurse went out to seek the mysterious "Renoah." Hopefully, this "Renoah" person would be a good caretaker for the poor baby, unlike the mother's husband….


	2. Exile

again, i don't own naruto or any of its contents.

If i have gotten something wrong in this story, please, let me know, and i will fix it. (after all, i am trying to become a writer.)

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Chapter 2

In Konohagakure village…

Hinata's father screamed at her as she told him the news. Shino, Hinata's boyfriend and teammate, stood bravely in front of her, attempting to protect her from her father's wrath. Neji, Hinata's cousin, and Kiba, Shino and Hinata's teammate, stood between Hiashi and Hinata as well, glaring at the cruel man. Hanabi stood off to the side with a smirk on her face.

"How _dare _you! How dare you bear the child of this-this pathetic, creepy bug-infested freak!?" Hiashi bellowed at his daughter, pointing at Shino. Hinata tightened her fists, and moved the others out of her way.

She quickly attacked her father with the 8-trigrams-64-palms technique, hitting the man's blood circuits rather than his Tenketsu points. The old man stumbled backwards, and Hanabi rushed forwards to catch him as he fell. The blood had been severely cut off from Hiashi's brain, leaving him extremely dizzy.

"You. Will. NEVER! Insult-my friends-my boyfriend-or anyone that I hold dear- AGAIN!" She shouted, putting extreme emphasis on her words as she pointed her finger in the man's face.

The blood returned to the man's head, and he staggered as he stood, shakily.

"Exile." He growled. Neji's eyes went wide, and he protested.

"I didn't ask you to speak, boy!" He shouted punching Neji into the wall and activating the curse seal on his forehead. Neji screamed and writhed on the ground as his uncle racked his body with the most pain he had ever felt before in his entire life.

Hinata pushed her father back and did a round of the 8-trigrams technique, hitting all of his Tenketsu, cutting off his chakra flow. She then did another round, hitting his veins and arteries, managing to hit the Aorta as well.

Hiashi fell to the ground, and Neji's curse seal was released. Hiashi went into shock, blood dripping from the corners of his mouth and hands twitching uncontrollably. Hinata stood over his for a few minutes before walking over to Neji and helping him up. She helped him lean on her shoulder while she left the office, heading down the corridor to the front door.

"Let me take him, Hinata." Kiba offered, draping the weakened Chuunin over his shoulders and forming a sign, teleporting to the Aburame compound.

Shino took Hinata's hand and walked with her to the Aburame compound as well, telling her that everything would be alright, and that they would sort this trouble out soon.

"Let's run away. You and me. Your parents would approve of you and I, but the rest of the village won't. They would hate us, and most of all… Kiba. I couldn't live with that. He would be treated like you were, and hated like Naruto. I can't let that happen. Not to our children." Hinata whispered, glancing at Shino.

It took a while for her words to click.

"Hinata… Are you… accepting my proposal?" He asked, the corner of his mouth curving into a smile. Hinata smiled at him.

"Yes, Shino Aburame. I am." She whispered, pulling him into a hug. He smiled greatly and hugged her back, laughing with glee.

He teleported them to the Aburame compound and discussed the situation with his parents. They listened carefully, and agreed with the two ninja's plans.

* * *

Yes, i am a fan of ShinoxHinata! They support each other so well! (plus Naruto's a dumbass.)

if you liked it, tell me so, please. if you didn't, say what you thought sucked, and i'll fix it. (But i won't quit writing because of too many flames. i'll just think of something else, or fix it to make it better.)

BTW, i would like to thank some people for their help. (And they know who they are.)


	3. Salvation

This is where the graphic scenes start. (Somewhat.)

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.**

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Chapter 3

Four Years Later…

"Girl! Get your ass back inside! Don't make me hurt you now!" A drunken man's voice yelled out. A tiny, beaten and skinny girl was hiding in the alley behind a couple of boxes, shaking as she tried to keep quiet.

The man straightened himself and wiped his nose, sniffing at the air. The cold he had was no good; usually he could just sniff the air and find out her whereabouts. He had refused to let her bathe, and so it was easy to find her this way.

The hot sand was burning her feet and bottom, but she bit her lip to hide her pain. Cautiously she peeked out from a crack. The man had his back turned, and was headed back inside. He walked back into the house, grumbling to himself.

_She's gonna turn up later. She can't run. She's got nowhere to go._ He thought, shutting the door. He left it a crack open so that he could peek out and try and catch her before she ran away.

_**He is gone. Run. Run now, child.**_

_He'll catch me again. Just like he always does. He'll catch me, and then I'll die for real. No jokes, no mercy. He'll kill me._ She whimpered silently, but then clapped her hands to her mouth quietly.

_**Try it. I have a feeling that it will work. Trust me. Please, trust me.**_

She took a small breath and crept out from the spot that she was hiding. Crouched down, she took off at a dash, feeling a strange tingling at her feet as she ran. The man that was watching jumped out after her, reaching for her ankle, barely grasping it. She screamed and began to push herself to run faster. She got out of the alleyway and turned the corner, bumping into someone and falling to the ground.

Fearfully she looked up, forgetting that she was being chased by her uncle.

A tall, lean but muscular figure stared down at her. He wore a black uniform with a purple and yellow yin-yang like decoration on the belly. He had purple paint face stripes, and he scowled back at her. She scrambled to get to her feet and began to run back the other way, but her uncle cut her off.

He grabbed her wrist and twisted her arm, grabbing her hair and hitting her head on the wall.

"How dare you run away!? You get back into that house, you-

The man in the black outfit punched the drunken man in the face, sending him flying a couple of feet. The girl tried to stay awake, but failed as her eyes fluttered closed, senses going numb to the world around her.

A girl in a short white skirt and strange white top ran around the corner of the building, heart racing as she had heard what was going on. She carried a fan on her back, and had her thick sandy blonde hair tied back in four ponytails.

"Kankuro, what happened? What's going on?" She asked.

"… You missed it, Pineapple-head. I'll explain later. We need to get this kid somewhere safe." He said, pointing to the girl. The woman glanced at the girl, and immediately went over to the girl, examining her wounds. _This poor kid... she's almost dead! And has a few fractures and tears..._

She picked the girl up and cradled her in her arms, then jumped up on the rooftop, running and making her way to the hospital. Kankuro followed behind, scowling at the idea of having to bother the Kazekage during this time with this trifle piece of information.

Gaara was busy reading over the piles of paperwork that he had to fill out. He had told his secretary, Nina, to not let anybody into his office unless it was an emergency and someone was bleeding.

He took a sip of his coffee and rubbed the sleep from his eye, signing off his name at the bottom of a form for shipment of supplies to Konoha.

He was so absorbed into reading a form that he hadn't noticed that the phone was ringing until the third ring. He grimaced and picked it up.

"What?" He muttered tiredly.

"We have a situation. Temari and Kankuro need to come up to your office." Nina replied. Over the phone he could hear Temari shouting at her.

"Screw the call, we're going in!" His sister's voice rang in his ears. She broke down the door that led to the corridor that Gaara's office was held in.

"Sorry, but this is an emergency." Nina said shortly before hanging up on him. Gaara groaned and let his forehead hit the desk with a thump.

The door banged open and Kankuro and Temari ran in, Temari holding a small child in her arms.

"Why do I smell blood?" Gaara yelled as he lifted his head off of the paperwork. The ink that he had been writing in still had not dried, so the ink had wiped off onto his forehead. Kankuro stifled a laugh.

"This girl is injured." Temari explained, setting her on the floor.

"Take her to the hospital!" Gaara barked at her.

"They won't take her, inky." Kankuro joked. Gaara looked at him, and then Kankuro pointed at his own forehead. Gaara crossed his room to the mirror and examined his forehead.

He raised his hands in frustration.

"God… damn it. Why won't they take her?" He asked, hovering over the girl.

"I dunno. They were terrified of her. We tried to explain the situation as far as we knew, and they said 'no. we're not taking this kid!' I just don't understand why— Temari stopped midsentence as she clutched at her chest, breathing hitching and temperature skyrocketing.

She began to scream as she tried to reach the skin where her heart was located, but couldn't.

The girl lying on the floor opened her eyes and screamed, clawing at her head.

"No! No no no! Not again! Never again! Noooo!" She cried kicking the cupboard and rolling around on the floor while still holding her head. Temari collapsed, and lay on the floor, waiting for the pain to subside.

"Skyri Voku!" The girl yelled. She instantly calmed down, whimpering in a pile on the floor. Temari regained her strength, and slowly sat up. Gaara stood still, understanding exactly what was going on.

"She's got a demon." He whispered calmly, helping Temari stand. Temari slowly walked to a chair and sat in it, sighing in relief. He kneeled beside the child and set a hand on her shoulder, and the girl jumped, squeaking.

"G-go away. I-I-sh-she'll hurt you!" She whimpered. Gaara sat down on the floor.

"She can't hurt me. I have one too." He stated. The girl stared at him as though he had just smacked her.

She shook her head at him and backed away, hugging her knees to her chest.

"She can hurt anyone. Even me. She'll kill you!" She screamed. Gaara held his hand to his temples; he was beginning to get a migraine.

"Quiet down. Listen. I will help you. I can help you. I've been there. I know what you're going through. Just relax." He consoled the four year old. The kid stared at him for a while, and then took a deep breath, wiping away her tears.

Kankuro smiled. _Thank god. I thought he was gonna crack._

"What's your name, kid?" Kankuro asked.

The kid glanced around the room for a while, thinking about her name.

"Sometimes I call myself Sheeva. Other times I call myself Nami. Nami is her name. Sheeva is my name." She whispered. Gaara and Kankuro caught glances, and Gaara stood, walking over to Temari.

"…"

"I'm fine, thanks for asking." She growled.

"I'm putting you in charge of the girl." He said, taking a glass and filling it with water.

"What?!" She screeched. Kankuro felt a fight coming, and so he picked up the kid and took her out of the room.

He carried her to Gaara's room and set her down on the bed, sitting across from her and yawning, and stretching. He found a few pieces of paper and some pens, and began to doodle a picture. He showed it to Sheeva, asking her what she thought it was.

"I don't know. What is it?" She asked.

"It's called a beetle. See? There are the legs and the hard shell. Underneath the shell, they have wings, and can fly." He explained. She nodded and slipped off the bed, curling up at the foot of the bed and resting her head in her arms.

"I'm scared." She muttered. Kankuro blinked.

"Why?"

"Once I'm asleep… Master will come and get me. And hurt me. Or that girl in there. I hurt her. She'll hurt me too." She muttered, shivering.

"We won't let them, Sheeva. You're safe here. If you want to sleep, sleep." He reassured her. She stared at him in fear, and he smiled warmly at her.

_**Trust him. He doesn't look that mean.**_

_He… he's not like the others. But that other boy. He was strong. He was scary._ She thought. She pushed the other voice away and closed her eyes, trying to get herself to sleep.

Kankuro stood up once he was sure she had fallen asleep and commissioned a clone to stand guard, walking back into the other room.

Temari was still not interested in taking care of the girl, and was making her point very clear.

"I'll take care of Sheeva. I think she trusts me. Temari, next time you see her, don't get angry. She thinks you will kill her." Kankuro said. He stared sternly at his brother and sister, and they could tell that he wasn't joking.

"I think the kid was beaten. Jesus, she's terrified that people will kill her. And she's already admitted that someone has beaten her. That man that I saw looked related to her. Not to mention psychotic." He stated, walking over to the water container and pouring himself a glass of water.

"How is she?" Temari asked.

"She's asleep." He muttered before downing his glass. He left the room, and went back to the spare room, picking the kid up and putting her in the bed, covering her with the sheets. He sat in the chair and began to write a letter to Sunagakure's library, requesting a picture book.

_Poor kid…_ He finished the letter and sent it off, watching it as it flew through the air on the leg of the bird he sent it with.

* * *

There. it wasn't that bad, yeah?

**Temari: **You bitch! You nearly killed me!

**Kankuro: **Calm down, Pineapple-Head. *snicker*

**Temari: **You call me that one more time...I dare you.

**Kankuro: **Uh-oh. Pineapple-Head is mad! *snicker*

**Temari:** *Whips out gigantic fan* Wind Scythe Jutsu! *kankuro flies 100 feet into the air and crashes down on a bed of cacti*

*Giggle* buh-bye!


	4. First Day at the Academy

First off, i don't own Naruto.

Damn this insomnia....

anyway, i'm not exactly sure how the bugs are chosen for the Aburame clan, but i think that they haave to be injected with all different species of bugs, and whichever one works... they live with?

Kiba-kun was lucky. Originally, though, his name was Shugo. (From .Hack.) think i should change it back?

* * *

Chapter 4

Shino and Hinata watched with pride as Kiba ran around happily. He had just learned how to use his Byakugan skill, along with gaining his Kikaichu. He was the happiest boy alive, he felt.f

"Look at him… He has your eyes, my ability… He's going to be the top of his class!" Shino boasted. Hinata smiled and stared out at the Sunagakure's horizon.

"Tomorrow's his first day of school, too. I wonder how much different school is here than in Konoha?" Hinata pondered aloud.

"Will he be accepted?" Shino worried. He didn't want his son to be pushed away for his differences like he was as a child. Shino was brought out of his thoughts as Kiba stumbled to the ground, scraping his hands and knees on the concrete, and getting a mouth full of sand. He began to cry, and Hinata was the first to get to Kiba, picking him up and brushing him off.

"I'm- hic hic- okay, M-Mom." He sobbed, wiping away the tears in his eyes. Shino smiled.

"You're a strong boy, Kiba. Just like your mother and father." He complimented his son, taking his hand.

"Let's get you inside and off to bed. You have a big day tomorrow."

Kiba jumped up and out of bed early in the morning, running to his parent's room.

"First day of school! First day of school! Get up get up!! First day of school!" He shouted excitedly, barely able to keep his voice down. Shino groaned and rolled over, staring at the clock. It was 5:00 in the morning. School wasn't until 9:00.

Hinata began to get up, and Shino told her to go back to sleep.

"Come on…" Shino put on his glasses, and walked down the hall into the bathroom. Kiba went in too, and stared at his dad as he washed his face.

"Now that I start school, can I grow a beard too?" Kiba asked.

Shino _had_ to smile at that.

"Wait until you're older." He replied as he began to shave.

He finished, and walked out into the kitchen, pouring his son a bowl of cereal and himself a mug of coffee.

_Today's gonna be a long one…_

8:30.

Shino and Kiba stood outside the gates to the school, studying a bug that wound itself on the sidewalk.

"See those? That's the… antenna, right, Dad?"

Shino nodded.

"Hey, Aburame." Kankuro said as he walked up to stand with them. Shino looked up and stood as he recognized who he was.

"Kankuro." He set a hand on Kiba's head and ruffled his hair.

"Today's my first day of school!" Kiba shouted grinning from ear to ear.

Kankuro smiled.

"We have to wait for Sheeva. She's not five yet. She'll be five in October next year." He stated. Sheeva was standing behind Kankuro, trying to avoid the two unknown persons. Kiba walked around to find Sheeva and smiled.

"Hi!" He barked. Sheeva whimpered and ran around Kankuro, clutching onto his shirt.

"What's your name?" Kiba asked, trying again while waving and holding out a hand.

"I'm… Sheeva." She whispered shyly, staring at Kiba's hand as though he were holding a weapon.

Kankuro turned Sheeva around and kneeled down to talk to her, assuring her that it was okay, he was a friend.

Kiba cast a confused look at his dad. Shino kneeled down to talk to him.

"She's shy. Try to calm down. You're scaring her, probably." He whispered.

"Why would I scare her?" He asked innocently. Shino didn't answer, but frowned behind his glasses.

"She's scared. He's taller than she is, and she' hasn't seen many people out here yet. I'm kinda nervous myself to send her to school…" Kankuro admitted, scratching the back of his neck. The bell rang, and Kiba hugged his dad before running into the school. Shino stood and nodded before walking off.

Hinata and Shino stood outside the gates and waited for Kiba to walk out of the school. They expected him to be incredibly happy, but instead, he was crying. Hinata ran up to her son and scooped him in a big hug.

"What's wrong? What happened?"

"The other kids—hic hic hic—don't li-like me!!!" He wailed. Shino's stomach dropped, and he felt bad.

"Oh, honey. It's not that they don't like you. They just don't know you. That's all. Give it another week. By then, you'll find a friend. Trust me." Hinata reassured, patting Kiba on the back. She glanced at Shino, who was leaning against the gate, hands in his pockets, with the familiar frown of anger.

She took her son and held him while taking her husband's hand and walking with him back to their house.

_I knew it…_ _Everywhere we go, he won't fit in._ His head filled with even more troubles as they walked, and he had an even harder time trying to sleep.

* * *

Ah... 'nother chapter done. and it's 440 in the morning!

**Shino:** I will NOT stand by and watch my son be tortured like this! you will not do this to my child!

Author: *scratches back of neck* he he he... don't worry! i've got something up my sleeve! (i hope...)

**Hinata: **Shino... relax, please? She's trying her best...

Author: Arigato, Hinata-chan.

**Shino: **Fix it. Now. *hold kunai to author's throat.*

Author: eep...yessir!rightaway!!


	5. Friends and Bullies

Disclaimer: i don't own Naruto

there is a Rape scene in here. Don't like, you can skip it. i'll warn you when it pops up. ^.~

* * *

Chapter 5

Kankuro watched as she walked to the gates of the school and inside the doors. He sighed. _Hopefully,_ he thought, _she will be able to restrain herself and get through her fears._

Sheeva scanned the room as she stepped in. The entire class looked up and stared at the new kid, and she wanted nothing more than to run. But she stood her ground like she had been taught.

"Yes?" The teacher asked.

"I'm a new student sir. Sheeva." She muttered, trying to mask the fear in her voice. She could already tell that she was much smaller than the rest of the children, and the Auras in the rooms were somewhat dark.

"Ah. Sheeva. Yes. I read your profile yesterday." He stood and surveyed the room.

"Do we have any empty seats?" He asked. All of the kids either moved to fill the seats, or lay on the benches to take up the space.

"There's a seat here, sir." Someone in the back called out. The teacher looked, and then pointed to the back.

"Ok. Sheeva, you can go and sit by Kiba." He said. Sheeva nodded her head.

"I have some things that I must get from the office. Kids, wait here. I'll be back." The teacher said, leaving the room. Sheeva sighed and walked towards the back, ignoring the whispers of the class. They were about her. They usually were.

She fell forward and hit the stairs. Somebody had tripped her, and she looked up to see who it was. A tall, thin boy with blonde hair sneered down at her, laughing.

"Aw, did the little girl trip?" He mocked. Sheeva backed away, bumping into the chair of another person, who pushed her away with her foot.

Her mask fell, and she let her fear shine through, cowering and covering her face, hiding away from the kids.

"Leave her alone, Kimi-chan. You too, Ryo-kun." A voice called out from the back. The class silenced and sat back in their seats. Kiba had stood, and had sent out his Kikaichu to keep back the kids that were picking on Sheeva.

Sheeva looked up and stood, brushing herself off and wiping her eyes, looking around. Ryo grimaced and glared at Sheeva, who in turn, rushed to her seat.

"Th-thank you." She whispered, shrinking into a ball.

"…" Kiba remained silent.

_It's the same kid I met a year ago. She's still afraid of me. Who cares? Everyone is afraid of me. Afraid of my abilities._

The teacher walked back in, holding a stack of papers in his hand. He walked along the rows, handing out the papers and telling them to wait. As he got to the front of his desk he picked up a piece of chalk and began to scribble on the board. Everyone else picked up their pencils and began to write the notes down.

Sheeva fished in her pockets for her pencil and began to copy the notes, trying to figure out what exactly the teacher was getting at.

_Today's going to be a long day. I'm bored already._

* * *

The teacher had led them out into the field for a quick training exercise, and they were divided into teams. Kiba, Sheeva, and Ryo were in a group, Hatake, Ryo, and Katakana were a team, and Lena, Katina, and Jashiin were in a group. They took turns fighting the teacher's clones. The first group to go was Lena, Katina, and Jashiin.

The Teacher showed them a scroll, and then clipped it to his side, readying himself in a fighting stance. The three kids glanced at each other, and then rushed at the teacher, one attacking the feet, one attacking the torso, and the other attacking the head from behind.

The teacher was tripped by the one attacking his feet, and he fell. The one that was attacking the torso grabbed the scroll and flipped around; tossing it to the one that was attacking the head, which ran with it to the destined spot.

"That… was the fastest record I have throughout all my years of teaching. You work well in a group." The teacher commented before disposing of his clone.

Kiba smirked. _I'll do just fine. But with Sheeva dragging me down, and having to work with Ryo? This just sucks._

Ryo stared at Sheeva with malice. _She's so skinny. And small. God. Is she even six years old? Ha._

Sheeva was watching with awe at the team's performance, trying to remember the strategy they used.

"Um… Kiba-san, Ryo-kun, maybe… if we work together, we can… get the scroll?" She whispered, trying to resist twiddling her thumbs.

"Me? Work with you? You won't even stand a chance." Ryo growled. Sheeva stood her ground.

"That… That's not true!" She said harshly, even though in a slight whisper.

"Are you kidding? You can't even speak! You're pathetic!" Ryo continued to insult her. Sheeva began to feel the anger rising within her, and she tightened her fists.

"I… I'll prove it! I-I'll take him on myself!" She shouted. Everyone paused in their chatter, and stared at Sheeva.

Kiba adjusted his glasses. _She's going to try? Hn. I have got to see this._

The teacher walked over to the group, and asked what the situation was.

"Sheeva says that she can take you on herself." Ryo grinned, posing her as the one that refused to work with the group.

"So, refusal for cooperation?" The teacher asked.

Sheeva shook her head feverishly.

"No, no sir! That's not what I meant! I-I--

--She was being taunted." Kiba put in. Sheeva stopped and nodded.

"Oh, so now it speaks." Ryo grumbled. Sheeva found an outlet for her anger.

"Don't call him that! Don't you ever call him that! He's a person! Just like you!" She shouted, turning on him. Ryo blocked her attack as she punched him, but the force of it knocked him back. The teacher did a binding jutsu, restraining her.

"Relax. Ryo-kun is just like that. Now… I think that I would like to test your cooperation in a two person group. Kiba and Sheeva. You are to take this scroll from me. Go all out, if you must." The teacher stated, releasing Sheeva.

Sheeva turned to Kiba.

"He has a weakness—his feet, I think. We'll try aiming for them. If that doesn't work, then we will try attacking the body." She whispered, low so that he could hear. Kiba thought on this for a minute. His specialty was distance range attacks. For what he had seen, she was good with hand-to-hand combat.

"I will try at hand to hand, but I'm not good at it. Are you good at it?" He asked. Sheeva nodded.

"Let's go." She nodded to the teacher.

"You are ready?" The teacher asked. He formed the signs, and created a clone, attaching the scroll to the waist.

Sheeva rushed for the teacher, trying to spin on her foot and kick his feet out of the way. Anticipating this, he jumped, but was knocked up into the sky as she rested on her back and kicked up with her feet. Kiba used his Kikaichu to block a few shuriken that were sent towards her, and then ordered them to wrap around the clone's wrist, throwing him and smacking him into the tree. The clone disappeared, and the scroll fell to the floor. Sheeva dashed for it, and so did Kiba. They both collided, but grabbed the scroll. Sheeva jumped up and took his hand, practically dragging him across the training yard to the designated spot for the scroll.

They had finished a second later than the previous team.

"Did you _have_ to drag me?" Kiba growled standing and brushing himself off. Sheeva stared at the ground, eyes downcast.

"G-gomen-nas—

--save it." Ryo barked as he walked by her.

"…" Kiba walked away, putting his hands in his pockets.

Sheeva walked to stand by the fence, staring at a lone beetle. She let it crawl onto her finger and rest there.

"Hi." She whispered to it. The beetle seemed to look at her, chatter it jaws together, and then took off. She followed it with her eyes, and it landed on Kiba's jacket, crawling inside of it. Kiba glanced at her, and she looked away out of shame.

She didn't even watch the third team as they went, but rather, began to draw things in the sand at her feet. Someone came and kicked the drawing out of order.

"What is your problem?" Kimi shouted, picking her up by the collar. Sheeva's eyes went wide.

"Wh-what prob-lem?" She whimpered.

Kimi glared at her.

"You punched Ryo-kun. _Nobody_ crosses with any of us and gets away with it."

Sheeva squirmed and tried to get away, body overloaded with fear-induced adrenaline. Kimi readied a fist and punched Sheeva in the eye. She then dropped Sheeva to the ground and left.

"If you ever cross with me or Ryo-kun again, it'll be worse." She threatened. Sheeva curled into a ball and held her knees to her chest, wiping away the tears in her eyes.

_**Kill her. Kill her, you know that you can! Tackle her down, and hurt her!**_

_No, Nami. I can't! That's… it's against the rules! I can't!_

She began to cry as her mind whirled into a recent memory.

* * *

rape scene starts. skip if you don't want to read it.

* * *

_She sat in the corner of the room, playing with a doll that she had gotten from a toys for tots fund that the village held every year. The man babysitting her was sitting in the lazy chair, watching a video of some sort. He flipped through the channels, and then turned off the TV._

_"I'm bored. What are you doing?" he asked, standing and walking over to her._

_"Playing with… with my doll." She answered, confused by the man's actions._

_"Yeah? …" He kneeled behind her and pushed her back, hugging her from behind._

_"I like to play with dolls too." He smirked as he undid her shorts and slipped his hand in between her legs._

_"h-hey, what—get off! Go away!" She cried, trying to push him off her. He didn't budge, but forced her to the ground, lying on top of her. He kissed her cheek tenderly, and pulled her shorts off. She screamed and kicked at him to get away. He held her legs around his waist as he undid his own pants and pulled them down._

_"No! Stop! Hel---" She was silenced as he covered her mouth, ramming himself inside her. She screamed at the pain; it was the worst pain that she had ever been in, and she was terrified at what he was doing._

* * *

End scene (A/N: sometimes i even surprise myself...)

* * *

She felt a hand on her shoulder, bringing her out of the horrible memory. She looked around, but there was no one there. The rest of the kids were going inside. School was almost over. She stood slowly and walked to the classroom, avoiding the stares of the older kids.

Kiba was the last to get into the classroom, and Sheeva moved so that he could sit back in his seat. She saw a bug creep out from beneath his jacket, and she reached out a hand for it. It jumped onto her hand, and she stared at it.

"What are they?" She asked with fascination. He ignored her question for a while.

"Kikaichu." He replied. The bell rang, and they all sprang up to leave, except for Kiba. Sheeva whispered a 'bye' to him before walking out the door. She looked around for Kankuro, but he wasn't there. Instead, Gaara was. She ran out to meet her "Uncle", giving him a hug.

"Hi, Sheeva. How was your first day of school?" He asked. She smiled.

"Good." She looked around for Kiba, but was disappointed when she didn't find him.

"What are you doing?" Gaara asked.

"I was… looking for…" She stood on her tiptoes to look.

"Looking for…" He repeated in a questioning tone.

"My friend." She whispered, giving up on looking for him. She began to walk away.

"May I have a name to this 'friend'?" Gaara asked jokingly.

"Kiba Aburame." She smiled, thinking of the beetle and the way that he looked when he was deep in thought. She liked it.

* * *

Shino had walked in to hear the words 'friend' and 'Kiba Aburame', and stopped in his tracks. He stood outside the gates, waiting for his son to walk out of the doors. No son.

Trying to calm his racing heart, he walked inside, searching for the teacher.

When he asked about Kiba, the teacher replied that he had already left.

_Oh, No._

He ran down the corridor to the doors, and then jumped up on the roof, searching for his son.

"Damn it, Kiba, where did you go to?"

His Kikachu buzzed in his left arm, signaling that he was to head right. _That's right. I forgot—I planted a female beetle on his back this morning…_

He followed the signs of his beetles to the female scent, and therefore found his son sitting atop the Kazekage's mansion.

"Kiba, you know you're not supposed to be here. What's going on? What happened today at school?" Shino sat down beside his son. He sighed, and looked at the sunset.

"I've had a bad day. Well, a crazy one, really. It all started with this new kid. Ryo-kun tripped her, and someone else kicked her, and she didn't fight back, but cowered into a ball. I helped her up, and everyone stared at me like I was some sort of freak." Kiba threw a clump of sand, and it fell to the ground, shattering apart.

"Who was it?" Shino asked, having an idea.

"That girl that we met on my very first day of school. Sheeva." He replied.

"And then, during training, she punched Ryo because he insulted me. And we had to work in a group. She's fast. She's faster than Mom, Dad. It's a bit scary. Then one of my Kikaichu was talking to her, and she was talking back."

"She was punched by Kimi for defending me. They don't-they shouldn't-they can't hurt people because of that!" Kiba growled, tightening his fists. Shino patted his son on the back, and he relaxed.

"Give her some time. She's probably not used to big groups." _Or maybe she's got something terrifying from her past._ He added silently.

"Come on, kiddo. Let's get you home." He said, letting his son sit on his shoulders as he jumped down from the Kazekage's mansion, running home to catch dinner in time.

* * *

"… And then there was this test that we had to do, and it was easy! But Kiba and I worked together, and we did really well! We… we made such a good team!" Sheeva talked nonstop, smiling excitedly throughout dinner. Kankuro and Gaara smiled, Temari was grinning.

"I _told_ you you'd like it!" Temari teased. She sipped her drink slowly.

Sheeva let out a yawn and slipped away from the table.

She gave everyone a hug and kiss goodnight, and went to her bed, crawling into the sheets and shivering a little as she slipped into a good sleep.

_I can't WAIT to go to school tomorrow._

* * *

Author: Ah... 'nother chapter down. Now i can sit back and sleep!

**Sheeva: Sleep? Oh, i don't think so. you have homework to do. need i remind you, your grade in Italian is low, and Algebra isn't looking too great either. Daddy's gonna be mad!!**

Author: Leave me alone. My blanket and pillow are waitin' on me!

***Sheeva drags Author to her chair and slams her math book on her desk* **

**Sheeva: Homework! Now!**

Author: *ugh...* yes, ma'am... I'll get you back for this...

**Sheeva: what was that?**

Author: uh, uh... i need a calculator for this?

**Sheeva: Just get to work!**


	6. Night Terrors, Contests, and Genjutsu

**HEY!! Sorry for the wait! I had to get this finished first, and i have grades to keep up...**

**by the way, sorry to say, i don't own naruto. (Hey... cool, that rhymed.)**

**anyway, here is the 6th chapter. Sheeva is 6, Kiba is 7, just for a mental picture. i should probably start adding more description of my characters though... read and review, please! thanks!**

* * *

Chapter 6

Sheeva shot up, screaming. She was breathing heavily, and shaking non-stop. Kankuro ran in, kunai in hand.

"What? What?" He shouted, turning on the light and looking around frantically.

Sheeva was muttering incoherently, hiccoughing and crying at the same time. She held a firm grip to the bed sheets.

"Sheeva, what's wrong?" He asked, shaking her. She didn't stop muttering, but continued, uninterrupted.

"No… more… I don't want…. I don't want you to….stop! Stop! Uncle! … make him… make him stop!!" She screeched. Kankuro was at a loss for words.

"Sheeva, wake up! Wake up, now! It's just a dream! It's not real!!" Kankuro yelled. She still yelled frantically, and he picked her up and set her in his lap, rocking her back and forth to calm her down.

Sheeva calmed down a little, still whimpering and crying. She clutched onto his shirt and shivered. Kankuro remembered how often his own brother had woken up in the night, but was still somehow asleep. She was suffering from night terrors, and she got them every so often, especially when something happened that reminded her of her past.

She was still asleep, and now calm, curled up in his arms while he rocked her back and forth.

"You're okay, Sheeva…I'm here. I won't let them hurt you anymore." He whispered as he tucked her back into the bed, planting a kiss on her small forehead before exiting the room.

"Kankuro. Kankuro, get up. I have to go to school." Sheeva shook Kankuro, who was asleep on the couch with a book in his hand. There was a puddle of drool on the pillow. He didn't wake, but she knew he was alive—he was snoring loudly.

"Kankuro." She said, a little louder, pushing him. He didn't stir.

"Kankuro!" She said, louder still, pushing him harder. She looked around the room for something that she could make a loud noise with. There was a puppet with large hands resting in the corner, and she walked over to it, curious. It had three eyes, and looked like a large spider. It was made of wood, and she knocked on the forehead. _Thunk_.

_Whoa. That was a neat sound._ She did it again, and chuckled a little. She screamed suddenly as it moved, smiling at her.

She backed away into the couch, and Kankuro wrapped a hand around her belly, tickling her. She laughed and tried to push him away. He rolled off the couch and stood up, stretching.

"Got you." He laughed. She laughed as well.

"Ha ha ha—Hey, let go!" She giggled. He let her go.

"You're already ready for school? You have that test today, right? Good luck. You'll do fine. I know you will." He smiled, walking to his own room and closing the door to change his usual outfit, washing his face and fixing his make-up.

He went to the kitchen and poured two glasses of orange juice and two bowls of cereal, setting them on the table. Sheeva sat down, and stared at him.

"Three." She picked up her glass of juice.

"Two." He picked up his glass.

"One." They raised them.

"Go!" Both chugged down their juice. Sheeva finished first, and set her cup down quickly, picking up her spoon and shoveling the cereal in her mouth. He finished his glass just as she started the cereal, and began to chow down on the cold cereal, barely chewing the Frosted Flakes. She set to drinking the milk after her last bite, picking up the bowl rather than spooning the milk into her mouth. He finished his last bite shortly after, and also drank the milk by bringing the bowl to his mouth.

"Done!" She huffed as she set the bowl down on the table. He finished a gulp and sighed, breathing heavily.

"Nice. You. Beat. Me." He panted, grinning.

"Yeah. I. Did." She breathed. She stood and put her dishes in the sink, standing on her toes to rinse them.

She got her backpack and put it on, standing at the door.

He nodded and grabbed his keys off of the table next to the door, and let her out, stopping to lock the door.

"Kankuro, what was that thing that I was looking at this morning?" She asked as they walked down the road.

"Hm? Oh, that was a puppet. My puppet, actually. His name is Crow. I use him on my missions or when I'm fighting." He explained. She thought for a bit.

"Can I learn how to fight with a puppet?" She asked.

"Maybe. I'll teach you when you get a little older." He replied. Kankuro felt his stomach tighten. _It's really a strain on your body though… and it takes massive amounts of control and skill._

They arrived at the school and said their goodbyes.

"I'll be here to pick you up after school. If not, then it will be Temari. I think she had something in store for you anyway." He told her before letting her go.

"'Kay." She called out as she ran for the door. She found her classroom, and walked in, avoiding the glares of Kimi and Ryo as she walked to her seat.

"Good morning, Kiba." She whispered, taking out a pencil. He nodded his head.

"Good morning…Sheeva." He replied, shocked that she hadn't added a suffix to his name.

The teacher walked in, carrying a stack of papers, handing one to each student. Sheeva received hers and began to read the questions, filling out the answers quickly.

Kiba took his time with his. His father had helped him study, and then trained for a little bit afterward.

Sheeva finished the entire test in about five minutes, and she turned it over, setting her head on the table. Kiba finished his shortly after, and took out a book to occupy his time. Sheeva took out a piece of paper and scribbled something on it and handed it to him.

_What's that book about?_

Kiba took her pencil and replied, dog-earing his book and closing it.

_The Kazekage's life. Pretty interesting, actually._

Sheeva jumped at this. _Gaara has a book after him?_

_May I see that?_ She asked. He dog-eared his page again and handed it to her.

Gaara is a ninja affiliated with Sunagakure, and is the son of Sunagakure's leader, the Fourth Kazekage. As a child, his father attempted to turn him into a human weapon by placing a tailed beast into him, and he was hated by the Sunagakure villagers. As a result, he develops into a ruthless killer, slaying others without mercy, and treating his siblings Kankuro and Temari with contempt. His battle with Naruto during the Chuunin Exams changes this outlook, and he begins to aid others in order to copy Naruto. Later he becomes Sunagakure's Fifth Kazekage.

Before he was born, Gaara's father had the One-Tailed Shukaku, a tailed beast, sealed into his body while Gaara was still in his mother's womb, giving him the power to manipulate sand. The Fourth Kazekage, Gaara's father and the leader of the village of Sunagakure, intended to use Gaara as the village's personal weapon. Gaara was trained by his father throughout his childhood to help gain control over the abilities granted to him by Shukaku.

Despite this, Gaara was hated and feared by the Sunagakure villagers, who viewed him as a monster for being the host of a tailed beast. Shukaku would occasionally manipulate sand against Gaara's will to harm other villagers, cementing their perception of him.

These attacks on the villagers convinced Gaara's father that he was a failed experiment, and he ordered Gaara's assassination. All of the attempts on Gaara's life failed, as Shukaku would always protect Gaara from harm and kill the assassin. Realizing that he had been abandoned by his family, Gaara adopted the belief that he could only rely upon himself and Shukaku, and that he had to kill others in order to confirm the value of his own existence.

_My… fat-Gaara… did this? He lived… like this?_ She thought, eyes growing wide as she imagined the horror that the words depicted.

Kiba grabbed the book from her hands and closed it. He then pointed to the front of the room. The teacher was collecting the papers into a neat pile, saying something about the next thing that they were to be working on.

"We're going to encounter Genjutsu. This will be tough training, but I believe that you are strong enough to fight it. We will be working with things that make you happy, scared, and finally, angry. Follow me to the training grounds." He commanded. The students stood and left, walking out into the hot sun. It was windy, and Sheeva's hair flew around her face.

"I will take one student at a time and cast the first Genjutsu: Happiness." He announced.

"Line up single file." The kids scrambled to line up, trying to stand with his or her friends.

Sheeva, unfortunately, was first in line. She stepped out to the field, and stood in front of the teacher.

"Do you know the hand signs, Sheeva? Sign the tiger, and command the Genjutsu to release. Don't trust your eyes." He explained. She nodded.

"Ready?" He asked.

"Yes, sir." She said, rather confidently.

He put his hands together and formed the signs, and muttered something. She waited for something to happen. She looked around, and saw that nothing had changed.

"Nothing's different." She said, confused. The teacher said nothing, but smiled.

He walked away, and so did the rest of the students, leaving Kiba behind. Smiling, she walked over to him.

"That wasn't bad. It didn't hurt at all!" She said. He stared at her.

"What are you talking about?" He asked.

"The Genjutsu. Nothing's changed. Well, the rest of the class went into the building. Let's go before we get in trouble." She said, taking his hand and walking with him. His hands were cold, a relief to her hot palms.

"Sheeva, school's over." He said, breaking his hand away.

"What?" She was really confused now.

"Everybody left." He explained. She hung her head.

"Oh. That means you'll be leaving too?" She asked. She felt sad that he was leaving.

"…"

"Please stay. I don't have any friends except for you." She asked, holding out her hand. It reminded her of the time that she had met him last year, and he had held out his hand to her.

_**Do you still realize that you're in the Genjutsu?**_ Nami said, growing impatient with her host's obliviousness.

"What? Really?" She put her hands together and shouted 'Release', looking around. The teacher and students had never moved. Kiba was staring at something on the ground from beneath his glasses, and he hadn't moved either. Sheeva was still standing in front of the teacher.

"Genjutsu is a very good technique to use against your opponents, especially if you know people or things from their past. Sheeva, tell me about your parents." The teacher said.

"I… my mother's dead. I don't know who my father is." She replied. The teacher had a puzzled expression.

"Who do you live with?" He asked.

"I live with Kankuro." She replied.

"Kankuro?"

"Gaara's brother." She replied. The teacher stared at her.

"You live with the Kazekage's _brother_?" He repeated.

Sheeva nodded.

"Why?"

The teacher and students looked shocked at her.

The teacher pulled her aside.

"The Kazekage…he's a demon." The teacher explained.

Sheeva shook her head.

"No, he's not. He has a demon inside of him. What's wrong with that? I have one too." She replied.

The teacher backed away, fear in his eyes. Sheeva's smile wore off.

"W-what are you…"

"You're… a demon too?!" He shouted, pointing at her. She gasped.

"No I'm not! I just have one, that's all!" She shouted. The other children screamed, running away.

"Sheeva's a demon!" They screamed. Kiba had backed away too, keeping a cautious watch of her.

She began to cry as she saw what was happening, and ran out of the grounds, wiping away the tears that fell. She ran to the end of the street, and turned the corner, bumping into someone.

"Oh, I'm sorry! Here, let me help you." The person said, reaching a kind hand to lift Sheeva off her feet. She saw that she was crying, and became alarmed.

"What's wrong?" The lady asked. Sheeva backed away.

"They think I'm a demon. I'm not a demon! I'm not, I'm not!" She cried.

_A demon? That sounds like… Naruto-kun, and Gaara-kun._

"Come with me." She said, reaching to take Sheeva's hand.

"I wanna go home." She whined.

"My name is Hinata. Are you at the school here?" Hinata asked.

Sheeva walked with Hinata, and she led her back to the school.

"Yeah. I do." She answered, standing outside the gates.

"Do you know my son? Kiba Aburame?" She asked. Sheeva nodded.

"He probably hates me." Sheeva muttered.

"I'm sure that he doesn't. What is your name?" Hinata asked.

"Sheeva." She replied.

Hinata remained silent. _So this is the girl that he was telling us about. She's so tiny. She… she looks like me when I was a little girl. But her hair is long, and her eyes are brown._

"Where do you live?" Hinata asked.

"With Kankuro. There." She said, pointing to the Kazekage's mansion.

"Y-You live with Kankuro and his brother and sister? The Kazekage?" Hinata asked.

"Yes." She smiled.

"He's a nice man. And so is Kankuro and Temari. They took me in, and they help me. They protect me." She defended her home. Some kids rushed past Sheeva, casting her strange glances and others glaring.

Kiba was standing just outside the gates, and he began to walk towards his mother as they came towards him.

"Sheeva. Mom." He greeted, puzzled as to why she was walking with his mother.

"Hi, Kiba-san!" Sheeva smiled.

"Sheeva needs help. First, I want to clarify things with you here right now. Sheeva is not—

--a demon. Yes, mother. I know. I don't believe that she is either." _But she does have something hidden from her past._

Hinata thought of something.

"Maybe you can come over to our house for a little while sometime. I think Kiba would like that."

Kankuro appeared behind Sheeva, tickling her sides, making her jump.

"Hey! That wasn't funny!"

He sighed, standing and taking her hand. He didn't realize that they were there, and began to walk off.

"Kankuro, they're here right now." She said, pulling her back to the gates. Hinata smiled and bowed as Kankuro approached.

"Kankuro, this is Kiba-san and Hinata-chan. This is my… dad?" She asked rather questioningly. Kankuro held back a smile.

He bowed back at them.

"Kiba! Come with me! I want to show you something!" She exclaimed, pulling his by the hand to the park. Hinata and Kankuro followed behind and talked about their children and their personalities.

Sheeva had pulled Kiba to a tall tree, and cleverly channeled her chakra to her feet, running up the side of the tree. Hinata saw this, and she complimented Kankuro on his work as a fatherly figure.

"Thank you." He said proudly.

Kiba had a hard time using his chakra to run up the branch, so he tried to climb it instead. She reached out a hand, and he stared at her.

"It's ok. Take it. I won't hurt you." She smiled. He hesitated, and then no longer. He took her hand and she held him to climb up on the branch. She giggled and stared out at the horizon.

"Isn't it pretty? The way it just falls?" She whispered, staring in awe. He studied her face, following her eyes to the sun. He covered his eyes—even with his glasses, the sun was bright, and it hurt.

"I… guess." He replied. Her smile faded a little as a thought came to mind.

"Why… why are the other kids afraid of you?" She asked. He said nothing.

After a while, he spoke.

"My bugs."

"They're bugs! I think they're fascinating!" She exclaimed.

_Really? You're not afraid? Tch. Yeah right. And then, you'll abandon me when I become attached to you._ He scowled, and jumped down from the tree, landing softly on the sand.

"What did I say? She wondered aloud. Kankuro jumped up to join her.

"How was your day?" He asked. She remained silent, staring at the still setting sun.

"Bad." She admitted. He sighed.

"Why? What happened?" Kankuro felt a pool of worry well in the pit of his stomach, and he hated the thought that was running through his head.

_They found out that she has a demon. They found out that she lives with me, Gaara's brother. _

"They hate me because I have a demon." She whispered. Tears fell from her eyes, but she didn't wipe them away. He wrapped his arm around her shoulders.

"You probably hate me too, like Gaara's dad did!" She whined, sobbing into her hands.

"You know that's not true! I love you kiddo! Look. Look at me. I promise you, I would never abandon you. Even if it costs me my life. I won't abandon you. No matter what you say, not matter what you do, no matter what you become, I will always be here for you." He began to cry too. Even though she wasn't his daughter, he thought of her as one, and she had brightened his life in many ways.

_Maybe it's time for you to go home now. You've had a rough day._ Kankuro wiped away the tears from his eyes and picked her up, jumping down from the tree and running to his apartment.

* * *

i Think i put Kankuro a bit out of character. i'm going by what i've seen of the Chuunin arc and Sasuke retrieval arc. i haven't seen any of the shippuden episodes, but i really would like to. i'll get to it soon.

Ciao, all.


	7. Timeskip

**by this time, i think Sheeva is 12, and Kiba is 13. i hope i've got my math right.**

**Disclaimer, i don't own Naruto or any of its contents.**

**I used some terms in japanese in here that need defining.**

**Yokomaru--"Greedy Boy"**

**Mesuinu--"Bitch"**

**Karasu--"Crow"**

**Kuroari--Black Ant**

**Sanshouou--Salamander**

**I'll find the others later...**

**Enjoy, yeah?**

**Please, read and review! (i would like to know what i am doing right and wrong within this, so please, let me know.)**

* * *

Chapter 7

Six years later…

"Come on, Kiba! We're going to be late!" Sheeva called up the stairs to his bedroom. Hinata sighed.

"He just doesn't get up… Kiba Aburame, you get down here right this instant!" She yelled up the stairs. Kiba poofed behind her in a cloud of bugs.

"I'm right here." He said. She leapt into the air, startled. She calmed herself, holding the counter for support.

Sheeva cracked up. Kiba smiled beneath his high collar.

"Kiba… Go tell your father goodbye. We'll celebrate this later." She muttered. He left to find Shino. Sheeva grinned.

"I'm glad that I'm graduating. I'll be a full-fledged ninja!" She punched the air and spun around.

"I remember when I was your age. I had just finished school too. Who knows? Maybe you can join in the Chuunin Exams. I think that they are in Konoha this year too." Hinata smiled as she remembered those years, the training with Kurenai-sensei, The Ichiraku Ramen Shop, the fight with Neji…

"Mom, I'm leaving now. See you later." Kiba announced, putting his hands in his pockets and leaning against the wall, waiting for Sheeva. She said her goodbyes, and left, leaving the door open for Kiba.

They said nothing as they walked to the academy, but silently took note as to what the other was wearing.

Sheeva wore a black tank top with a black leather belt around her stomach. She had black pants, black shoes… He ventured to guess that she had black socks, underwear, and a black bra on too. She wore a trench coat, black as well. Her short black hair was tied back into four ponytails, like Temari's and she wore black and white face paint, crosses on her eyes, and a line on her lips. The rest was white. She had a ring on her left middle finger with the Chinese zodiac signs.

Kiba wore his usual grey overcoat with the high collar, quite like the one his father wore. He had bought new sunglasses the day before, and his black hair was straight and stuck out like spikes. He also wore black pants, which were somewhat baggy. His belt was fastened around his waist in effort to keep his pants up. Because of his high metabolism, he had troubles finding pants that fit well.

Their shoes scuffed against the sand as they continued walking, casting glances at each other until Sheeva finally spoke up, breaking the growing awkwardness.

"First one to the Academy wins?" She grinned. She knew Kiba wouldn't let this opportunity to strengthen man's ego.

He readied himself.

"Loser gets one point added to the 'Lose' score." He replied. Sheeva quickly did the math. That would break their tie…

"You're on." She readied herself too.

"Ready?"

"Set…"

"Go!" They both took off, running at top speed to the academy. There was a cart pulling out ahead of them; they jumped and kept going. They were both running at the same speed, and both smiled at each other. Kiba turned his head back to smack his face into an open shutter. Sheeva cackled and kept going. She jumped a wooden fence, and nearly lost her footing. She looked around at where she had just landed—smack dab in the middle of a dog pen. She screamed, and Kiba smirked.

A rabid dog jumped at her, and she dodged it, jumping off of its back and over the fence again. She ran atop a cart, and jumped onto the fence, laughing as she jumped from roof to roof.

Kiba joined her, smiling as he fought to catch up with her.

"That's cheating!" He shouted out.

"I know! But it was funny!" She replied, jumping back onto the main roads. He followed, gaining on her. She turned a sharp corner and ran to the gates of the school, and he pressed chakra into his feet, zooming forward. She stopped to see if he was behind her, and he smacked into her.

The force of the impact sent them both flying forward into the wall, and then to the ground.

"Ow…That was fun!" She smiled, raising herself up off of him. The smile was replaced by a shy one, and she blushed. His hair was a mess, and his glasses were out of place. Unfortunately, he had his eyes closed.

He pushed her off and stood, brushing himself off._ Nothing happened. It was all an accident… Kami is toying with me… as fucking usual._

She stood too, shaking her head and giggling. _God… he's cold! But so cute… I could feel the bugs… that was way cool!!_

"Hn." He put his hands in his pockets and turned away, walking into the school.

"Let's go to class." He reminded her. She sighed and followed behind.

_God, please let that happen again…_ She thought as they walked into their classroom and sat in their seats.

"Here are your final reports. I will call your name, you come and get them. I'm old, and too lazy to walk around." The young teacher joked. His 25th birthday was last week, and the students joked about him being old because he was over 20.

"Yojimbo, Ino." A blonde girl jumped up and ran over to her teacher, snatching the paper out of his hands. She let out a squeal of pride at her grade. Everyone clapped their hand to their ears to muffle the sound.

"Ifrit, Kakoji." A boy stood, munching on a piece of dried meat, and took his paper, glancing at it and smirking of victory.

"Aburame, Kiba." Kiba stood and walked up to the teacher, who took his paper. Before he left, the teacher muttered a "Good job. You need more practice in some areas though. Sheeva will be able to help you with that."

Kiba nodded to show that he understood.

"Yokomaru, Ryo." Ryo stood and walked up to him, grunting.

"Hn' yourself, Ryo." He handed him his report. Ryo took a look at it. He had barely, just _barely,_ passed. He didn't let his dismay show, and sat down, pretending like nothing had happened.

"Mesune-I mean, uh, Nekoami… Kimi." The teacher had nearly called her by her given nickname. She glared at him and snatched her report card out of his hand, staring at it. She whined at it, and then sat back down, pouting.

"Sheeva." The teacher smiled at her as she calmly approached.

"You did very well. Try practicing and training more with Kiba; he has strong points where yours are weak, and vice-versa. You two will make a great team." He said. She bowed to him in respect for his comment.

"Arigatou, sensei." She whispered shyly.

_You two would make the perfect couple as well._ He added silently. She smiled and turned, walking back to her desk. He finished handing out the reports, and then grabbed another pile of papers on his desk.

"Ahem… if I can have your attention, please? I have taken the most compatible scores of all the students, and have put you all in three paired cells. Meaning: three partners to train with, complete missions, Etc… you will all become ninja together, sharing your unique abilities. Work together with your strengths, fix your weaknesses and you all will succeed and go very far. The Chuunin Exams are being held in Konoha. I expect to see all of you there!" He finished his short speech, and then looked at the first page of teams.

"Team 1… Shizune. Yamaki. Madoka. Your sensei is Orobi." Two of the kids groaned—they felt better than having to work with the lower class student. Regrettably they shuffled out of their seats and stood next to the low-class student.

"Team 2…Nekoami. Hakusho. Kurosaki. Your sensei is Akasha." Three kids in the back stood and walked to a corner of the room. They didn't mind each other; they all lived in the same neighborhood.

"Team 3…Nairobi. Aburame. Sheeva. Your sensei is Baki." Sheeva silently shouted in victory, Kiba smiled beneath his collar, and Nairobi sighed. _Thank god I'm not paired with Ryo… I'd have to kill him. But I'm paired with Sheeva. She might kill me._

"Team 4… Yokumaru. Yojimbo. Ifrit. Your sensei is Akima." The other two groaned for being stuck with Ryo; everyone except for Kimi hated him.

"That is all I have to say. As you exit, come by my desk, and I will hand you your Hitai-ate. Your forehead protector is the most valuable symbol of your country and your village. Do not bring disgrace to our village by embarrassing yourselves." He demanded. They nodded, and all stood.

Sheeva could hardly contain her excitement as she touched her headband for the first time.

"I'm… I'm a ninja! I made it! No more school! No more school! Yes! Kankuro, Temari and Gaara will be so proud of me!! I'm sure Hinata-chan and Shino-san are happy for you as well, Kiba!" She jumped up and down as she talked. Kiba smirked as he put his headband around his forehead, like his father.

Sheeva wrapped hers around her neck, like Temari's and grinned, setting her hand on her hip and doing a peace sign with the other.

"This is great! We're ninja! YAY! I can't wait to start training!!" Tani squealed, forgetting her fear of Sheeva momentarily.

_**Good job, Sheeva. You did very well. You will be a strong warrior, like your mother.**_ Naomi complimented her host. Sheeva smiled.

_Thank you. You helped me too._

She sighed and sat down, still woozy from the joy of passing to Ninja Rank. Kiba sat down beside her.

"I'm glad. We're on the same team." He admitted. She smiled.

"Yeah! I can't wait to meet Baki; Gaara said that he was his sensei when he was my age!" She grinned.

"Everyone, sit back down with your teammates!" The teacher commanded. All shuffled around, and sat in their teams.

"Now… all of you are to return tomorrow to meet your sensei. After you do, it is up to them what you do. I no longer have control of you. I hope to see you all tomorrow. Until then, GET OUT!" He shouted, pointing to the door. They all stood and rushed out the door, trying to restrain their bubbling excitement.

Kankuro was waiting for Sheeva outside, with a knowing grin on his face.

"I did it! I'm a ninja!!" She cried, running to him and giving him a hug. Kankuro stood and spun around, then set her back on the ground.

"I knew you would do just fine! Let me see your report." He read it, and smiled.

"Good at distance attacks, speed is excellent, and strategy is excellent. Who's in your team?"

"Kiba-san, Eva-chan, and Baki-sensei." Kankuro's mouth dropped.

"He's _still_ leading teams?! Wow! Wait till Gaara and Temari hear this!!" He grinned as memories of training with Baki flooded through his head. Kiba walked up to them and nodded his head in greeting.

"You are on the same team as my daughter, eh? Keep your hands off my kid." He warned jokingly. Kiba nodded.

"Rest assured, I will not. I have no interest in her that way." He scoffed, turning his head away. Sheeva felt a ten-ton rock crush her down. _Ouch._

Kankuro noticed her dismay, and stood, setting his hand on her head and ruffling her hair for comfort. Hinata and Shino walked up to him and congratulated him, Hinata giving him a hug and Shino a high-five. Sheeva felt a bit lonely—even though Kankuro was her adoptive father, she still wished she had a mother to look after her too.

"Sheeva, you passed too! Good job! Whose team are you in?" Hinata asked.

"I'm with Kiba-san, Eva-chan, and my team leader is Baki." She replied.

Hinata smiled. _This will be the perfect opportunity for those two to get a little closer… Just like Shino and me. This would be quite ironic, as well._

"Well, Sheeva and I have some things to do, so we will be leaving now. Ja ne." Kakuro announced, stretching and waiting for a response.

"Ok… Bye, Kiba. Bye, Hinata-chan. Bye Shino-san." She whispered, walking away. Kiba watched as she left. Shino nudged him with his elbow.

"She really likes you, you know?" He whispered.

"Yes, father. I know." He replied, walking away. _Her father will kill me if I try anything though._ He grimaced as he continued to walk.

"He's sulking." Hinata whispered to her husband.

"Reminds me of the time that Naruto returned. Nobody noticed me…" He sighed, putting his hands in his pockets.

"That's not true! I noticed!" Hinata giggled. Shino took her hand and they walked after their son, whispering behind his back.

"Kankuro, why did you have to tell him to stay away from me? He takes things seriously!" Sheeva hissed at him. Kankuro burst out laughing.

"I was just joking! I didn't think he would take it seriously!" He replied, turning to walk down the street.

_But that comment… 'I have no interest in her.' How could you?_ She mulled things over.

"Here. I need you to buy something for me. Can you get me some more paint? I also need a few new brushes too. And you can keep the extra money, or spend it on whatever. I have to talk with someone. Meet me back at home, okay?" Kankuro explained, handing her his wallet with a bunch of money in it.

"What color? White? Purple?"

"White. I already have enough Purple, Black, and Red. I'll be good on those colors." He corrected her. She gave him a questioning look.

"You used the last of the white on your face this morning." He explained. Sheeva smiled and nodded, giggling.

"Sure. Are you going home after this?" She asked.

"Yup. I'll meet you there." He said. She gave him a hug, and then rushed for the art store in the middle of the square. Kankuro smirked and headed home, trying to get there as fast as he could to finish the puppet he had been working on.

She huffed as she ran up the stairs with the paint and brushes. The storekeeper had given her a discount (they went there quite often) and so she had enough to buy some weapons and medical equipment.

She opened the door and swung it open, stepping into the dark room.

"Kakuro? I'm home!" She called out, flicking on the light.

"Surprise!" Kankuro, Temari, and Gaara exclaimed, praying her with silly string. She screamed and back away, laughing.

"What…what is all this?" She asked, grinning.

"Celebration. You know, you graduated a year before any of us did. You are gonna kick some butt!" Temari explained.

"And the fact that you are going to be led by Baki is pretty neat. He was our sensei when we were young too." Gaara put in.

Sheeva wiped her eyes.

"Thank you guys! This was unexpected. I should run errands more often!" She joked. Kankuro smiled as he handed her a large box.

"Open it." He said. She tore the Kanji-littered paper off the box, and opened it as fast as she could. She peered inside, and gasped.

There was a large puppet that looked like a cross between a lion and an eagle.

"Karasu?! Dad, you…" She ran strings of chakra to the metal knobs that stuck at various points, and it clicked as it stood up, ready for battle. She had practiced with Karasu more than any of the other puppets, and she knew every attack, every defense mechanism, and every bolt and screw that held it together.

"Yep. I upgraded him too. He has the same attack and defenses as Kuroari and Sanshouou. So basically, he's damn near invincible. You can use Puppet Technique, and instead of having to use Kuroari and Sanshouou at the same time to use Poison Mist Hell and Hundred Continuous Tears, you can just use Karasu. Well, you can pretty much use all of my puppet's attacks with this upgraded Karasu—But be careful. You will have to use your own chakra. Neat huh?" He explained.

"Awesome! I can't wait to check this out!!" She exclaimed, trying to contain her excitement. Gaara smiled. He had trained her to control her demon chakra, and no, Naomi was practically a Chakra container that she could use at will.

Setting Karasu carefully aside, she peered inside the box again, just to check. There was a large fan in the corner too. Temari smiled as she took it out and opened it. She had also trained Sheeva with using a fan as a weapon.

"Temari! No way?! This is the one that-

-that I used when I took the Chuunin Exams. Very good. See, Gaara, Kankuro, she listens to me too!" Temari grinned. Sheeva opened it, gaping in awe at the monstrosity of the fan compared to her tiny stature.

She folded the fan back up, and ran to them, giving them all a tight hug.


	8. Rules and Tests

**i really liked this chapter. I actually did this for a friend of mine; he's in the states. we had gotten lost, and he hadn't slept well for like, two days, so i stayed up while he slept. we found our way back home the next day (we had been goign around in circles.)**

**anyway, i hope you like this one!**

**Please read and review!**

**Ciao**

* * *

Chapter 8

Team 3 walked together to the academy, both silently enjoying the rising sun.

Sheeva was sporting her new weapons, and wore a grin from ear to ear. She had changed her outfit, and now wore a pair of black pants with the left leg cut off to the knee, and had on a black half shirt with a black trench coat over that. Her hair was done in the same fashion as the day before, and her new headband shone in the sun's light as it hung from around her neck.

Shino had on the usual high collared shirt and black pants, and had his headband around his forehead, sunglasses on and hands in his pockets. He had brought along a backpack full of medic equipment and weapons.

Eva was wearing a white, knee-length skirt with black leggings beneath it. Her shirt was white as well, draped from across her shoulder. She let her hair hang down over her eyes, which were a bright brown. In the sun, they appeared red. She had her headband tied around her left arm.

They had arrived late, mostly due to the fact that Sheeva and Kiba had gone out of their way to pick up their new teammate—Hinata's request. All of the students had gone, and their teacher was still their, waiting patiently on them. Their sensei was also there, arms crossed and looking _very _upset.

"You're late."

"We went to find Eva, sensei." Sheeva explained, bowing on one knee.

"I see." Baki muttered.

"Get up." He ordered. Snappily Sheeva stood.

"What are your names?" He asked.

"I am Sheeva. This is Kiba. This is Eva." Sheeva turned her head to Kiba and then to Eva as she said their names.

"Kiba." Kiba straightened.

"What are your main techniques?"

"Kikai and Byakugan, sensei." He replied. Baki grunted.

"You. Eva. What are your strengths?"

"Chakra control, sensei." Baki raised an eyebrow.

"Is that all?" He growled. Eva shyly muttered "Genjutsu and Ninjutsu."

"What was that?" He demanded, rather menacingly.

"She said she did well with Genjutsu and Ninjutsu." Sheeva explained, glaring at Baki. Baki stared at her in slight surprise.

"And you? What are your fears?" He asked.

"…" Sheeva remained silent for a while.

"Loss of my friends and family. I will protect them with my life." She declared. He smirked.

"I dislike them already." He retorted. All three teens sweat-dropped.

"Well, you'll learn to love 'em. Just wait and see. They all are very impressive, and work well together. Especially Sheeva and Kiba. You should take them on a test run." The teacher suggested. He bowed his head to the three teens, and left without another word. Baki sighed and turned to them. They all stared back.

"Fine. Let's go to the training grounds. I have a test for you to complete." He announced, leading them out of the academy.

… _A test. Right off the bat. Not what I had in mind._ Kiba thought, imagining the possibilities of this "Test"

_What? A test? Kankuro never told me about any test! What kind? What do we have to do? I don't even… I'm not ready for this!_ Sheeva's mind began to race, and her palms started to sweat. Eva was having the same problems, although different.

_Sheeva's nervous. And when she gets nervous, she freaks! She's gonna kill me! Baki-sensei will kill me if I don't pass this test! What kind of test is it?_ Eva shifted a distance away from Sheeva, wringing her hands together.

"Geeze… Women get so nervous. It's only a test." Baki grumbled under his breath. The three teens heard it, and then shook their heads to clear them.

"What kind of test is it, Baki-sensei?" Sheeva asked. He stopped and turned to face her.

"See these bells? I'm gonna give you until sundown to get them. The person without a bell gets tied up. There are only two; remember that." He smirked.

Kiba looked at his sensei cautiously.

"There's only two bells, and three of us…"

"How is that f—Sheeva began, but stopped when Baki clapped a hand to her mouth.

"First rule: don't say the four-letter-"F"-word." He demanded. She pushed his hand away.

"F-a-i-r? We can't say that?"

"No. Nothing in this world is fair." He gritted his teeth as he said this.

He relaxed his jaw and rubbed it before continuing.

"You can say any other four-letter-"F"-word but that one."

"Seriously? We can even say 'fuck'?" Eva whispered. Sheeva had to stifle her giggles.

"That one either. Can't say that one." He smiled slightly, and then turned away, continuing to walk on.

They were led to the Suna training grounds just outside of the city. There were three poles, with a bundle of rope.

"He wasn't kidding." Eva blurted, turning pale.

"Yeah. Now… Your test is to take these bells from me at any cost. If you wish to succeed, attack me as though you mean to kill." He said calmly. Sheeva gulped.

"But--

--Let's go. Your time starts…Now!" He called. They all readied themselves. Sheeva whipped Karasu around and readied him as well. He clicked into place, crouched low.

Kiba summoned some of his bugs to his fists, and let them swarm around him.

Eva was calming herself down to do a jutsu.

Baki noticed this immediately, and rushed for her. Karasu rushed for Baki, throwing two kunai at his chest. He blocked those and moved aside, missing Eva by a few inches. Kiba created a rope of bugs and wrapped them around Baki, attempting to drain his chakra. Baki did a substitution, poofing behind Kiba and kicking him up in the air. He then jumped up and spun around, kicking Kiba to the ground at his stomach, knocking the wind out of Kiba.

Karasu shot out a poison bomb, but Baki caught it and chucked it back. It exploed, and Sheeva coughed as she tried to get out of it without breathing. She took the fan from her back and waved it, clearing the poison mist away. Baki was right in front of her, punched her in the stomach and then caught her by the collar of her shirt, throwing her to the ground. She rebounded, and threw her chakra strings back to Karasu. Karasu attacked Baki with an array of cuts and slices.

Kiba created a typhoon of bugs around Baki, trapping him.

Eva quickly did a few hand signs and punched her hand into the ground. Baki was encased in a pole of rock, and he tried to move, but the rock held fast.

"I'll give it to you: you _do _work well in a group." He grinned.

_Jesus… they've got me stuck!! You're better than this, you idiot._ He muttered a counter-jutsu against the one that Eva had placed on him, and the rock cracked, crumbling to the ground and releasing him. Kiba ordered his bugs to reach for the bells, and he snatched them off of Baki's belt.

Baki stood, amazed at the three students. He then thought of a new plan.

"Okay. Now that Kiba has the two bells… go after him." He smirked as he jumped back and rested atop the gates to watch the fight.

Sheeva glanced at Kiba, and then at Eva.

"You've got to be kidding. It'll last all night!" Eva shouted at Baki. Baki laughed.

"You've got three hours, or until two of you have one bell! Your time starts now!" He yelled out to them. Sheeva sighed, and then set Karasu and her fan aside.

"Let's practice our Taijutsu for a while then." She suggested. Kiba shrugged and let his bugs retreat back into his body.

Sheeva rushed for him and jumped, doing a double kick and then in midair, spinning around hit him in the head. He blocked both attacks, and then grabbed her ankle and threw her away. Eva attacked him from behind, hitting him in the kidney and then kicking his feet out from beneath him. He grunted from the pain, and rolled away from her as she tried to punch him in the stomach.

Sheeva stood and ran to Kiba, reaching down and jerking the bells out of his hand, then jumping over Eva, pushing her to the ground. She began to run, and Eva chased after her. Kiba's head was spinning—his bugs were getting pissed at him and refusing to let him get up.

Eva threw two shuriken at her; they whizzed past Sheeva's arm and cut it, making her scream. Eva caught up with her and punched her in the cheek, then jerked one of the bells out of her hands.

"Ha Ha! I got it!" She yelled in victory. Baki stopped the fight.

"Sheeva, you have one? Eva has one? Good." He said as they showed him the bells.

He walked over to the three poles, leaning against one. Kiba shamefully walked over to the pole and sat down next to one. Baki commenced in tying him to the pole.

"You all did well. But there's one more part to this test. Everyone except for Kiba is to return home. He is to stay here." Baki stated.

"What? In the night? There are robbers, and-and murderers!"

"He will be fine. Also, neither of you are to return here." He declared. Sheeva's mouth dropped. She ran for Baki, hand held back ready to punch. He caught her fist and twirled her around, twisting her arms behind her back.

"You dare attack me? Over your teammate?" He shouted angrily. He let her go, and she bit her tongue to keep from whimpering.

"Go home. Both of you." He said, disappearing in a puff of smoke.

Eva shrugged and left, leaving Sheeva behind.

"Kiba…" She walked towards him.

"Just go." He snapped. She felt a knot form in her throat.

"I'm sorry." She whispered.

"…" He didn't reply, and turned his head away. She sighed, and sat down across from him.

"I'm not leaving." She stated.

"Go. You'll get in trouble." He warned. _Why is she doing this? She's always been afraid to get into trouble before! Now what?_

"I'm not abandoning you. You're… you're my only friend." She smiled.

The sun had already gone down, and the stars were lighting the sky. A wind blew across the sand, and they both shivered. Sheeva crawled over to his medic pack, searching through it. She took out a blanket and wrapped it around him. Using a kunai, she stripped some wood off of the posts and threw them in a pile, using some of the leftover rope as well to start a small fire.

She crawled next to him and wrapped some of the blanket around herself, staring into the flames of the fire.

Kiba gave up trying to convince her to leave, and so relaxed as he stared at the sky.

"They're pretty. The stars are…" Sheeva muttered, breaking the awkward silence between the two.

"…" He said nothing.

"Are you asleep?" She asked. He again, said nothing, so she assumed he was.

She sat there, only moving every now and then to stir the fire.

* * *

Baki was watching behind a large piece of the rock that had been used to trap him. He scowled as Eva left, and then even more as Sheeva stayed behind and watched over Kiba.

"What is she doing? Is she not afraid?" He wondered aloud. He then smiled as he realized. _She loves the boy. And yet, he probably can't stand her._ He shook his head and leaned against the rock, snoozing lightly.

* * *

Kankuro was panicking; Sheeva had not returned from the academy, and he had heard nothing from her teacher. He was searching the entire city, and ran across Shino.

"Have you seen Sheeva?" He asked. Shino shook his head no.

"I'm also looking for my kid. You seen him?" Kankuro replied no as well.

They agreed to help each other look, and so spent the entire night combing the city. Exhausted, they stared at the rising sun.

"Where could they be?" Kankuro questioned.

"No idea." Shino replied.

* * *

Baki walked out to the training grounds to find Sheeva and Kiba tucked beneath a blanket. Sheeva was still awake, staring at the dying coals. He hid behind them.

"Didn't I tell you not to come back?!" He barked, making her stand and turn around, kunai in hand, cautious expression.

"I never left! I won't abandon him! I'm not afraid of you!" She shouted back. He was again, surprised. He then smiled. Kiba had awoken, and was trying to figure out what was going on.

Baki untied Kiba.

"Congratulations. You passed this portion of the test. Eva, however, did not." He announced. Kiba wiped his eyes.

"Rule number two: Never abandon your comrade, or your client in any situation." He smiled and walked away. Sheeva smiled.

"Did you… stay up all night?" Kiba asked. She nodded.

"I couldn't sleep. Someone might have attacked." She explained, yawning. She picked up the blanket and shook it off, folding it back up and putting it in the medic bag.

He stretched and put his hands back in his pockets.

"Thanks."

She smiled.

"You're welcome." She replied as she picked up Karasu and her gigantic fan, putting them on her back and walking towards the gates.

"Let's get you home first. Your parents must be worried sick. Not to mention, Kankuro is probably freaking out right about now…" She told him as she hooked an arm around his and walked down the dusty road to the Aburame house.


	9. Period

**Here's the Third Chapter! hope you enjoy!**

**Ok. i might sound like a bitch, but... I'm not going to post the next chapter until i have at least ten reviews. (Provided that i have finished it by that time.)**

**BTW, don't own Naruto.**

**Erm, I'm a little stuck as well. i need some names for the kids of the Konoha Teams.**

**The Leaders:**

**Neji**

**Sakura**

**Sasuke**

**Ino**

**Choji**

**Shikamaru**

**Kiba**

**I would also like to thank BabyCougar for her support and suggestions. (She helped me fix a rather stupid error.) Arigatou!**

**Ciao, Tutti!**

* * *

Chapter 9

Sheeva and Kiba had finished walking to the Aburame house, and Kiba's mother snatched Kiba up in a bone-crushing hug.

"Oh, I'm so glad you're okay! I was so worried! Your father's been out all night looking for you! What happened?" She asked.

"Baki-sensei tied me up. I failed a test." He explained.

"What? Your sensei tied you up for failing a test?!" Hinata yelled.

"Wait, Hinata-chan! Baki sensei had two bells, and Kiba took them. That was part of the test. He passed that, and then he created a new one to where we had to try and steal the bells until two people had one bell. Eva and I passed that portion, and then he was tied up because he was the only one without a bell. He then told us to leave, and not come back. But Eva left, while I stayed behind. That was a test in itself. I passed that portion too." Sheeva quickly explained.

The front door slid open, and Shino and Kankuro both stepped in. Upon seeing their kids in the living room, they rushed for them and hugged them tightly.

"Kiba Aburame! Where have you been?"

"Sheeva, what happened to you?"

Sheeva and Kiba wriggled free of their parent's' grasps.

"Kiba was tied to a post the entire night, and so I stayed behind and watched over him." Sheeva explained.

"What?"

"There were only two bells that we had to take, and there were three of us. In the end, Eva and I were the one that had them. Since he didn't have any, he was tied to the post. Baki ordered us to leave, and then he left, but I stayed behind regardless. I didn't want to risk Kiba being hurt." Sheeva hesitated to say this in front of Kiba.

"Thank you so much, Sheeva. You must be tired. You didn't sleep the entire night?" Hinata said, concerned.

Sheeva nodded, and covered her mouth as she yawned.

"Um… If it's okay, I'm going to go home now… and sleep." She chuckled.

"Thank you, Sheeva." Kiba said before she left.

"You're welcome." She waved. Kankuro walked beside her as she walked tiredly to their house, listening as she relayed the fight of the previous day.

* * *

Sheeva awoke around five o'clock the next day, and had a very hard time getting up. Her stomach growled at her, and she groaned as she got up. She stumbled through the dark room—her shutters were closed, and so was the bedroom door.

She stifled a scream as she stubbed her toe on her dresser, and then hit her head on the dream catcher that hung from her ceiling. She finally found the light and flicked it on, shutting her eyes as they reacted to the sudden burst of light. Yawning, she walked out into the hallway, leaning against the wall as she headed for the bathroom.

She tried to turn the handle. It was locked.

"Dad… Get out of the bathroom." She murmured, still half asleep.

"Wait your turn." He said. She grimaced.

Leaning against the wall, she sighed and rubbed the sleep out of her eyes. He opened the door and walked out, toilet still flushing. She walked in and shut the door, locking it.

_That was strange. She sounded a little upset. Wonder what I did…_ He poured himself a glass of milk, and chugged it down, pouring another and chugging it down as well.

Sheeva emerged from the bathroom a few minutes later.

"Uh…" She mumbled. He glanced at her.

"What?"

"I… I need to go to Temari's." She whispered.

He blinked.

"Why?" He asked. Her face paled.

"I… I… I started." She hid her face, completely embarrassed. He looked at her confusedly, and then it clicked.

"Oh! Uh. Ok. Go on. Er… Want me to go with you?" He asked, trying not to laugh.

"No!!" She barked.

"I mean, uh, no thanks." She whispered, walking quickly past him and out the door.

"I'll be back." She announced. He nodded. After he was sure she was out of earshot, he began to laugh hysterically.

_I should've been prepared for this!! _He mentally slapped himself, and tried to contain his laughter.

_

* * *

_

Temari answered the door to a shaky teenager.

"I need your help, Temari!" She exclaimed as she barged in and shut the door quickly.

"Why? What happened?" She asked. Sheeva went pale again.

"I just… I need to go to the store to get… to get some pads…" She said in a very small timid voice. Temari smiled and hugged her.

"Yay! You're turning into a woman!!" She giggled. Temari settled herself.

"You can use one of the pads that I have. There are some in the bathroom cupboard beneath the sink." Temari moved aside as Sheeva rushed for the bathroom. Temari gathered her small backpack and purse. Sheeva finished, walking back out to the living room.

They left the house, chatting about the "Monthly", and Temari laughed as she saw the look on Sheeva's face as she explained what happened during the cycle.

"Since this is your first time, you should probably stick with thin pads, and work your way up, according to how much you bleed. Remember to change every four hours. You may even have to change more often, so don't forget to bring along extras—especially when you're on a mission. I know how embarrassing it is to be in that situation…" She explained. Sheeva giggled and nodded.

"Thanks, Temari. I'll pay you back, eventually." She was still slightly embarrassed, but not as much as she had been.

"I've got to get back home." Sheeva said as she left, heading for her house. Temari nodded and let her go.

* * *

Baki, Akasha, Orobi, and Akima were all standing in the Kazekage's office, awaiting the plan for the Chuunin Exams.

"Those of you who believe that your teams are fit to participate in the Chuunin Exams, step forward." Gaara demanded. Baki and Akasha stepped forward, bowing their heads slightly.

"Baki. Your team is…?" Gaara questioned.

"Sheeva, Kiba Aburame, and Eva Nairobi." He replied.

"Ah yes. The puppeteer and gigantic fan user, the bug freak, and the anti-social Genjutsu and Ninjutsu user. Yeah, they'll do fine." Baki was floored, not by Gaara's informality, but the fact that he described his students this way, especially Gaara's own "Niece" completely surprised him.

"Yes… Ah, Kazekage-sama, I believe that Eva is not quite—

--She'll be fine. Do not question me again." He snapped. Baki straightened and kept silent. Even though he was older, Gaara still scared the living shit out of him.

"Akasha. Your team?"

"Kimi Nekoami, Gen Hakusho, Dosu Kurosaki. They are well fitted for this Exam." She replied.

"Hmm. The dumbass, the posh, and the blowhard. Yeah. They'll do well too, although you may want to work on Nekoami's attitudes towards others. She lacks discipline and respect." Akasha stared at Gaara, shocked that he would use such foul language.

He stood and handed them the forms.

"Give these to your students. I expect them to be turned in no later than this Friday. That gives you three days." He ordered. Baki and Akasha nodded, and he dismissed them. They left together to find their students.

Gaara then turned to the two that had not submitted their teams to be registered, and began to question them as to why. He grew furious by the end of the day, and since he didn't feel like going home, he walked into his secret bedroom and fell on the bed, falling asleep quickly.


	10. Arrival, Reunion, and Quality Time

Chapter 10

Kiba waited calmly for Sheeva and Eva; they were taking forever to reach the gates of Sunagakure. His mother and father were traveling along for reasons unknown to him. They said that they had a surprise for him. He guessed that they were going to do something crazy, like throw him in the Konoha River and then stand by and laugh at him while he dripped dry. But he didn't have any objections. And neither did Baki.

Sheeva ran out of the village, huffing like mad. Kankuro came in second, Temari third, and Gaara was slowly walking at a leisurely pace.

"What are you three doing?" Baki questioned. Gaara glared at Baki.

"We're coming with you. Gaara has something that he has to talk with Naruto about, and besides, the Fire and Wind Kages always watch the second portion of the Chuunin Exams." Kankuro explained. Sheeva sighed and stood by Kiba, muttering a "Good morning."

"Your parents are tagging along too?" She joked.

"Yup." He replied.

"Hey." Eva muttered as she stood next to Sheeva.

"Hey." They replied.

Baki, Gaara, Kankuro, and Temari led the way as the three Sand-nin followed behind. They could already tell that this was going to be a long trip…

"Open up the gates! The Wind contestants are here!" Someone called up above. The towering gate slowly creaked open, and the three young ones watched in awe. Even Kiba had his mouth open.

They all walked within the walls of Konoha, and the massive gates slammed shut behind them. People were busy as usual, going about their daily business. Farmers were chatting, trying to sell their produce to the noisy passerby. Jewelry makers were also there, coaxing the females to group around the booths, "ooh"-ing and "ahh"-ing at the expensive authentic jewels.

"Kiba… we have something that we want to tell you." Kiba's parents said, pulling him aside. Sheeva stopped, wondering what they were stopping for.

"Kiba, choose who you want to go with first. Me, or Shino." Hinata said quietly.

"Mom, I'll go with you." He replied. She smiled, and bit her lip as she stood and faced a large complex to the west of the gates.

"Kankuro!" Hinata called after him. He stopped and turned around.

"Can we take Sheeva with us? We're going to go look around." She asked.

He nodded, and then turned to leave.

"Come with us." She beckoned. Sheeva smiled and ran to catch up with them.

"Where are we going?" They asked.

"To the Hyuuga Estate. My old home." She smiled, but then her smile faded.

_Who's the leader now? Is it Hanabi? Or did my father live? I hope it is Neji._

They reached the gates to the estate, and she nervously opened them. They creaked open. Walking up the trail, they reached the front door. Hinata hesitatingly knocked on the door. One of the maids opened the door.

"Yes? May I help you?" Hinata hid her eyes.

"May I speak with the Leader, please?"

"Yes. Hanabi-sama should be in her office. Let me take you there." The maid replied. Hinata's heart ached. _Hanabi is head of the Hyuuga Clan! Oh, no… what happened to Nii-san?_

Kiba noticed his mother's tension, and he set a hand on her shoulders.

"Mom, are you okay?" He asked. She nodded.

The maid knocked on a door.

"Hanabi-sama. Someone is here to see you."

"Show them in." Came a voice from inside. Hinata swung open the door and stepped inside. Hanabi was sitting in a chair, faced away from the three.

"What is it that you want?" She asked, still not turning away.

"I came to see my younger sister, Hanabi." Hinata said. Hanabi's eyes widened, and she turned around, shocked.

"Hinata! I never thought that I would see you again!! What… what on earth are you doing here?!" She cried, standing and hugging her older sister, who hugged her back, tears forming in her lavender eyes. Kiba filed what had just happened.

"This is my Aunt?" He asked. Hanabi broke away and stared at Kiba. He stared back.

"This is… your child? How old is he?" She asked.

"Thirteen." Kiba replied.

"And his name?"

"Kiba Aburame." He answered. Hanabi stared at her sister, outraged.

"You married him?! You married that boy?!" She screeched. Hinata grimaced.

"I will tell you the same thing that I told my father. Don't insult anybody that I care for. Especially my husband and my son." She growled. Hanabi backed away, remembering the events from before.

"Exile. You were in exile! Get out! Get off this estate! You are no longer allowed in the Hyuuga Estate!" She yelled, pointing her to the door.

Hinata sighed and took Kiba and Sheeva's hands, walking with them out of the mansion.

"Hinata-sama!" She heard a familiar voice calling after her. She turned; Neji was running for her, smiling greatly. She smiled too, hugging him as he approached.

"Nii-san!" She cried happily.

"Hinata! Off! Go! Get out!" Hanabi ordered, running them off the estate.

She walked on for a while before stopping, wiping away the tears in her eyes.

"So… That was my Aunt, and my Uncle… Why did they push you away?" He asked. She sighed.

"Because I love you and your father." She replied. Shino rushed for Hinata, scooping her up into his arms.

Kiba shuddered and walked away from the complex. Sheeva walked after him.

"Kiba?" She set a hand on his shoulder. He ignored her.

"Kiba? You named your kid Kiba? I feel so honored!" A voice yelled out. A man atop a large white dog bounded into the scene.

"Kiba!" Hinata and Shino exclaimed. They rushed to say hello to their former teammate.

"Kiba, come over here!" Shino called to the younger Kiba. He advanced, hands in his pockets.

"Wow. Spitting images. Hopefully you're a little more talkative than your father was? How are you?" He asked. Kiba scoffed, ignoring him.

Kiba smiled and shook his head. He then noticed Sheeva.

"Hey, there! Who are you?" He called. Sheeva shrank back as Akamaru bounded up to her, sniffing her.

"Akamaru! Back off!" Kiba yelled, pushing the large dog back.

"Arf! Rrrrarf! Ararararararf!" He continued to bark at Sheeva. Kiba was finally able to flip the giant dog on its back, and Hinata ran over to give it a good belly rub.

"Thank God he's easily distracted… Sorry about him." Kiba said, scratching the back of his head nervously. Sheeva stood, brushing herself off.

"What did he say?" Shino asked. Kiba stared at Sheeva concernedly.

He pulled him aside.

"She's a demon vessel. You know. Like Gaara, and Naruto." He hissed. Sheeva caught their conversation, and immediately felt guilty.

"I'm… I'm going to go find… Kankuro." She whispered, walking away. They watched as she began to walk off, head hung low.

Kiba Inuzuka ran up to her.

"Hey, now, don't go." He said, grinning. She stared at him.

"You probably hate me, now that you know what I am." She growled before walking on. He ran in front of her and stopped her again.

"That's not true. First, I just met you, so I can't judge you, and second, our Hokage is a vessel too. Don't worry. I'm just fine. I'm sure the others are too." He said, pointing back at them. She stopped and turned around to face them. They were all staring at her as though pleading for her not to leave.

She softened, and slowly walked back to them, apologizing.

Changing the subject, Shino suggested that they visit his home instead. Hinata readily agreed. Kiba Aburame didn't care; he was too tired to fight. Sheeva didn't mind; she had grown attached to the bug users, and wanted to know more about them.

"I've got to go, actually. I have to find Kurenai and give her something." Kiba announced jumping on the massive dog and bounding off towards town. They waved at him, and then walked back to the town, heading in the opposite direction of the Hyuuga Estate.

"Kiba. Come back here. I want to talk with you." Shino called to his son. Kiba stopped and waited for Shino to catch up, while Hinata and Sheeva walked ahead.

"I'm sorry for the impression that you got on my family." Hinata apologized. Sheeva shook her head.

"It's fine. Why aren't you allowed to love other people?" She asked. Hinata smiled.

"They frown upon ninja with other kekkai-genkai. For instance, the Aburame clan. They can't stand them because they live and work with bugs. But I love them for it. I think that they're fascinating, and really, the Aburame clan is highly misunderstood. Despite the cold exterior, they're very emotional and caring on the inside." She explained. Sheeva felt a new hope arise.

_So then… Kiba really doesn't hate me, or have just contempt… He does value me._

As though reading her mind, Hinata smiled and whispered to her: _ He does like you, you know. You're not just his friend to him. Even though he doesn't show it._

Sheeva stared around her as they walked to the Aburame compound. There were many shops open, and a very aromatic flower shop stood along the road. She hadn't smelled very many flowers; the only flowers she had smelled were the medicinal ones in the greenhouse.

They reached a large walled off portion of Konoha. The giant gates weren't as tall as the front gates to Konoha, but they were about half the size. The stone was a light blue. Shino opened the door, and let them in, looking around outside before he shut it again. On the inside there were many houses lined up along a single road leading to a larger house. They all advanced, ignoring the whispers of the other Aburames peeking out of their house.

"Shino Aburame. Hinata Hyuuga. Long time no see!" A man greeted them, walking out of the house at the end of the road. He looked exactly like Shino, except he had grey streaks in his hair.

"Father." Shino replied. The older Shino ran for him, encasing him in a hug, laughing. Shino was laughing too. Kiba was shocked. He hadn't seen his dad laugh like _this_ before. Usually it was a soft chuckle, or no sound at all.

"Hinata! How are you?" he boomed, hugging her as well.

"F-fine, Aburame-sama." She muttered, paling.

"Please, just call me Shibi. You're family! And this must be my grandson!" He grinned, giving Kiba a crushing hug as well. Kiba grunted and coughed as he set him down, shocked. _This guy cannot possibly be my grandfather!_

"Are you his girlfriend?" Shibi asked, grinning at Sheeva. Sheeva blushed and turned away, whispering a "No, sir."

He laughed.

"She's like you were, Hinata." He smiled. Hinata giggled, and set a hand on Sheeva's shoulder.

"She's my teammate… and my friend. We're just friends." Kiba retorted. Shibi smiled.

"Sure…"

Shino joined hands with Hinata.

"Dad, can you show them around? I have to talk with Hinata." Shino asked. Shibi nodded.

"Sure. Give you some time to reminisce… Come with me, Kiba. And…?"

"Sheeva, sir." She replied. He smiled.

"That's a nice name. Never heard it before. So, do you know about the Kikaichu, Sheeva? Of course you know, Kiba." He asked her, leading them into a room. There were millions of bugs lying around, some on flowers and trees, others on the walls.

"All I know is that they need a host, and that they use the chakra from their host to live. The host can use them at will. I spend a lot of time with Kiba." She said. Shibi was pleased.

"Very good! Yeah, that's pretty much it. I'm glad that you understand that the hosts are humans too. Most people think that we're walking bug vessels or something, so they stay away from us." He said sadly. Sheeva nodded.

"I understand, sir…" _I'm like that too._ She added silently.

Shibi raised an eyebrow at her comment, feeling that there was something else that she wasn't telling him.

"So… what are your abilities?" He asked. She smiled.

"I'm a puppet master. And I can attack with a gigantic fan. And… I'm really good with my chakra." She bragged.

"Kiba? Do you have both the Kikaichu and the Byakugan? Maybe you both can train here. I can hone your abilities as a bug user, and you can practice with Sheeva. Good idea, no?" He smiled. Kiba shrugged.

"Sure. I guess."

Shibi sighed. _You're EXACTLY like my son… I guess growing up in a different country had something to do with it, though._

Sheeva had amused herself by staring at the bugs, letting them crawl on her. Shibi and Kiba stared at her, amused.

"They tickle! Is this what it's like? Living with the Kikaichu?" She giggled. Kiba shook his head.

"You get used to it." He stated, picking one up. A few of his Kikaichu crawled out to explore the place that sensed of many other bugs like them.

"Does it hurt when they crawl out?" She asked. He sighed and sat down next to her.

"No." He replied. Shibi saw this as a perfect chance, and so he sneaked out quietly, leaving them alone… **(A/N Ha ha ha… I will have to change the category…)**

Sheeva noticed Shibi's absence immediately, but didn't say anything. She was enjoying this, relaxing with Kiba, and especially being able to see him in a relaxed state as well. He was much easier to talk to this way.

"Can you talk with them?" She asked. He nodded.

"Look. My bugs are the same as them… that's… pretty neat." He whispered, staring in awe. She giggled a little bit, and he gave her a look.

"What?" He asked.

"You're… different." She was at a loss.

"…"

"You don't have to change back! I like it…" She blushed and scooted a little closer to him.

He sighed, annoyed with him self. Sheeva felt his tension rise, and, thinking that it was because of her, she scooted away. He frowned behind his high collar at the sudden loss of warmth.

"I'm going to go. You should go back to Kankuro. He's probably worried about you." Kiba announced, standing and calling his bugs back. They zoomed back into his jacket, and he shuddered as they sank back into his body.

Sheeva stood, hiding her eyes from his view as she walked by. He ignored her and his Kikaichu, who were protesting leaving the area, and also leaving the strange warmth. Shino and Hinata met up with the two and led Sheeva to the Hokage's Mansion, where Gaara and Naruto were talking.

Kiba, Hinata, and Shino left, walking back to the Aburame Household.

Sheeva was falling asleep in a chair. Gaara smiled and picked her up with his sand, moving her to the hotel room that the other Sand-nins were staying in.


	11. Killing Intentions

Chapter 11

Sheeva, Eva, and Kiba were all at the Konoha training grounds when other teams from Konoha appeared on the scene. One of the team's leaders was wearing an ugly green suit, and had a very, Very, _VERY_ annoying enthusiastic attitude towards his team's training.

Rock Lee was running along with his students, shouting out that if they didn't get this done, they would do 100 sit-ups in a row nonstop. Two of the ninja on his team were panting heavily, but one was still running, seeming to have the time of his life.

_God that guy has a big mouth…_Sheeva thought, a dark rain cloud hanging overhead. Kiba watched as another one with the same lavender eyes as his mother was testing his student's ability to attack an opponent with 359-degree radius. He smirked.

_I can do that too…_ He turned to Sheeva and Eva.

"Will you help me with my Byakugan?" He asked. Eva shrugged and nodded, But Sheeva wasn't listening. She was pretending to be watching one of the trainers teaching a medical jutsu. She was still frustrated with Kiba.

"Sheeva." She turned her head. _Damnit._

"Will you help me with my Byakugan?" He repeated.

She nodded.

"What are you planning to do?" She asked.

"I was going to practice hitting the chakra points."

Sheeva nodded.

"Fine." _It'll give me a chance to work on my Taijutsu._

She readied herself, and he did his multiple signs, activating his Byakugan. He could see all of her Tenketsu, and rushed for them, sending chakra to his fingertips. She dodged his attacks with her quick speed, and he grimaced. Forcing his muscles to work faster, he was able to keep up with her speed, and managed to hit a chakra point in her thigh and left shoulder. She fell back, and writhed on the ground, screaming from the sudden pain.

He then turned to Eva, who hit him in the chest with a hard punch. He fell, and tried to get out of the situation as soon as he could. Sheeva was running for him, bleeding heavily from a wound. Behind her ran someone that he didn't recognize, but

"Sheeva! Come here! I'll protect you!" He shouted to her. They were still in the Training Field, and he sent more chakra to his muscles. The Kikachu were buzzing with excitement.

He ran for the man, sending a punch full of Kikachu into his stomach, and then swarmed them around him in a sphere, draining the man's chakra. The man fell to the ground, and ran for him, kicking his ribs hard.

"Kiba! Stop! Stop, that's not him!" Sheeva screeched. Kiba stopped, and stared at the man. It was his father, and his Kikaichu were crawling out of every orifice in his boy, trying to get away before Shino died. If they were still inside him when the last of his life drained, they would die as well.

"Dad! Dad! God—No! No!!" He screamed, falling to his knees and shaking him.

Hinata ran in on the scene, letting out a blood-curdling scream as she saw that her son had killed her husband.

She pushed Kiba away, and then shook her husband, who was already dead. Hinata stood, enraged at her son, while activating her Byakugan.

"Mom? Mom, no, it was an accident! I didn't mean to!" He pleaded, reading his fists to defend himself.

She ran for him, pure anger and rage in her Byakugan activated eyes. He braced himself, but someone else pushed him out of the way. Hinata hit Sheeva instead, and unleashed her 8-trigrams-124-palms on Sheeva, and then doing another 124-hit combo, ending it with the Eight-gates-assault. Sheeva fell to the ground, laying still. Kiba saw what Hinata had hit; practically every single Tenketsu point as well as the forks in the circulatory system, cutting off all blood supply.

He watched, terrified as Sheeva died. Hinata then turned to him, still furious.

"Mom, You can't… you can't be serious?!? Oh, god, Sheeva! You killed her?! What the fuck? What the FUCK??!" Kiba lost his mind, scooting away from his mother as she advanced.

"Kiba!" She screamed at him, throwing a kunai next to his head that missed him by centimeters. He even heard the sound of it as it whizzed by.

"KIBA!!!" She screeched, tears falling from her eyes. She threw another, pinning his left hand to the ground.

"Stop! Stop!! I didn't mean to!" He shouted. Something slapped him across the face, and he thought it was his mother. He kept his eyes shut, curling into a ball and crying pitifully.

"Kiba, are you okay? Eva? What the hell did you do to him?!" Sheeva yelled at her teammate, who was standing by, uncaring and unresponsive.

"I thought he would break out of it. I… I tricked his bugs, and I thought that he would realize that it wasn't real." She stated calmly.

Sheeva shook Kiba, who still wouldn't move.

"Shit… I'm dead. I'm fucking dead!" He shouted, opening his eyes and sitting up, looking around. He had broken into a cold sweat.

"Wha… What the… hell?" Kiba muttered, staring at the people around him. His mother and father were nowhere near, and Sheeva was sitting beside him, overly concerned. _What? Sheeva!_

"You're alive!!" He shouted, hugging her tightly. She choked from the force of the hug, but attempted at hugging him back anyway. He sighed, but then realized what he was doing, so he pushed her away. She scowled, and stood, brushing herself off.

She then turned on Eva, letting her fury charge at its outlet.

"You! What the hell were you thinking?! How _dare_ you attack our teammate with a high-level Genjutsu like that?!" She shouted, rushing for her and punching her. Eva pushed her fist to the side and did a double kick, missing Sheeva's chin by inches. Sheeva caught Eva's ankle as she twisted her foot. Eva prevented her foot by being twisted by spinning with the direction on her foot being turned, kicking Sheeva in the side of the head. Sheeva let go and fell, hitting her head on a rock poking out of the ground.

She felt her world go black, and she fought to stay awake. She rolled over; that was just about all that she could do, lying, defeated, on the ground while her head spun from the dizzying impact.

Eva stood over her.

"You are _so_ blind. He deserved what he got—it's about time he showed some damn emotions." She hissed, walking away. Sheeva fainted as she watched her adversary walk away.

Kiba picked Sheeva up, puppet, fan, and all, asking the others standing around staring at them where the hospital was. A pink haired Jounin stepped up. She took Sheeva from him, and assessed the damage done.

"She's just knocked out. She'll be fine. Just take her home, and let her rest. She'll be up and about in no time." She smiled. Kiba nodded, and picked her up, running back to the Aburame compound. His Kikaichu buzzed worriedly, a few creeping out to examine what made their host so disrupt. He ignored them as he continued on his way, trying to forget the images of the Genjutsu he had fallen for not less than five minutes ago.


	12. Awakening

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Here is my 12th chapter!

I got my i key fixed, and all is well! (yippee!)

I'll be out for a while, since i may have my laptop taken away from me (i hope not. it'll be even worse if i can't read any stories!! i hate parental controls...)

ah well. enjoy!

Buona Feste!

* * *

Chapter 12

Sheeva awoke, Kankuro leaning over her, a nervous look on his face. She jumped, and sat up, hugging him tightly.

"Eva's crazy, Kankuro! She made Kiba… She put him in a Genjutsu! And-And—

Kankuro hushed her.

"I know. Baki is punishing Eva right now. Kiba already told his dad, and they brought you here. Are you ok?" He asked, setting a hand on her head. Sheeva nodded.

"I'm fine. Where's Kiba?" She asked, standing. She fell back on the bed, head spinning.

"He's at the Aburame Compound. You should stay in bed. You hit your head, and it was bleeding when you got here. Hinata-chan wrapped it up and fixed it as best she could." He told her, setting a hand on her forehead. She turned her head away, and her eyes caught her hitai-ate. She frowned.

"Regardless of how things turned out, I'm proud of you, kiddo." He stated. She started at him with a confused look.

"You… are?" She asked. "Even after the way that I acted towards Eva?" He smiled and nodded.

"Yes… you… really love him, don't you?" He asked. She blushed, and turned her head away from him.

_I knew it would come to this someday._

"Sheeva? Promise me something." He asked. She looked at him, eyes ready and at full attention.

"No matter what happens to you, me, Kiba, or anyone else that you love or care for…Go on. Don't let those things hold you back! You are a strong woman. You have survived many things, been through more hardships than Gaara, Temari, and I have been through. You're still going through some of those hardships. Don't let them drag you down." He said. She felt tears form in her eyes. She didn't understand exactly what he was saying, but she didn't want to, either.

"Kankuro… I wouldn't. I can get through it! Just watch!!" She smiled. He smiled too, to hide his fear. _People can die in the Chuunin Exams. I… I don't want to lose you._

Temari walked in, and sighed, relieved that he niece was okay.

"Can you get up?" Temari asked. Sheeva nodded, but stay lying.

"She should probably rest for a little while longer. Unconsciousness isn't a restful state. You should know that, of all people." Temari said. He nodded. She was right.

He stood and left, walked down the hall. Temari shut the door. Sheeva closed her eyes and slept for a little while.

Kiba took a quick look at his teammate. Eva was standing by a river, brushing her hair and fussing over her looks. He glared at her, and felt his Kikaichu rise up in aggravation.

"Eva. You know the rules. No fatal Jutsu." He asked. She stopped, turned, and stared at him. She huffed, and turned her head away.

"I was trying to give you a real fight." She growled in return. Kiba frowned.

"You could have sent one of us into a coma!" He growled, trying not to let his emotions get the better of him. _Dammit… I hate you. Even more than I hate bug spray. I utterly despise you. _

"You think I didn't know that? I'm sorry, okay? Shut up and leave me alone about the whole stupid ordeal!" She shouted back at him. He scoffed and turned away.

Baki, who had been listening in on their conversation, turned up at that moment to avoid another big argument.

"He's right, Eva. You could have killed one of your teammates. You wouldn't be able to live with something like that on your conscience, would you?" He asked. She shook her head no.

"Good. Now… I have something to talk with Eva about, Kiba. You need to leave. And don't bother sneaking about, either. I'll just be able to scope you out." Baki growled. Kiba nodded his head.

"Yes, sir. I will leave." He stated, turning his heel and walking away. _I'm bored… what the hell am I going to do here? I don't know the other kids, there's no where to train in peace, and Sheeva's knocked out._

He kicked aside a rock, and it tumbled along the ground. _Sheeva… I wonder if she's okay._

He made his way to the hotel where the Sand Siblings and Team 4 were staying. He waited after knocking on the door a few times. Temari answered. She smiled at him.

"She's in the back. She'll be fine!" Temari responded reassuringly. Kiba didn't buy it.

"May I talk to her?" He asked. She nodded, and stepped aside as he stepped in. She bit her lip while tugging at her ear nervously.

"She's not okay is she?" He asked, sensing Temari's nerves.

"Well, yeah, but… I'm just nervous." She replied.

Kiba walked into Sheeva's room, walking to the side of the bed. She was asleep, her long black hair stringing around her neck and lining her face. She was in a peaceful state, and that calmed him. _Thank god._

"Why are you so nervous? She's ok, like you said." He asked. Temari sighed, and loosened her fists that were clenching the sides of her skirt.

"It's not about her. It's about something else." She lied. _He doesn't know. Thankfully he doesn't know, but… maybe he should? I'll leave that to Sheeva to tell him… God, the shit will hit the fan when that day comes._

"Do you want some tea?" She asked, changing the subject quickly and shaking her head. He nodded.

"Yes, please." He muttered, glancing back at Sheeva's room. _I wonder if she was in Genjutsu too… I hope she didn't see the same things that I did…_

Temari excused herself to the kitchen, and filled the teakettle with water, setting it on the stove to heat.

"What kind? There's Mandarin Green, and… Green. Heh." She chuckled. He shrugged.

"Doesn't matter." He answered. Kankuro and Gaara walked in, set their backpacks on the floor next to the door and collapsed on the couch. Temari groaned aloud.

"Great… the terrible two are back. Find what you were looking for?" She asked. They nodded.

"Tsunade helped." Gaara replied.

"Hi, Kiba. What's up?" Kankuro asked. Kiba shrugged.

"He's here to see if Sheeva was okay." Temari explained.

"Ah. Is she still okay?" Gaara asked.

"Is she _still_ okay? What's going on?!" Kiba growled loudly, nearly yelling.

"That's what I'd like to know. Why are you all talking about me? All I did was pass out." Sheeva said, walking in and rubbing her eyes. Kankuro and Gaara stood, rushing to hide the things that they had bought. Kiba's eyebrow arched, wondering what was in the bags, and what Kankuro and Gaara here hiding.

"We're just worried about your injury, kiddo. You know how things work around here. Somebody gets hurt, things all go to hell." Temari answered. Sheeva sighed and gave up, knowing that her aunt was lying.

"I'm going to get some fresh air." She announced, putting on her shoes and walking outside. Kiba stood quickly and walked out behind her. The others stayed behind, trying to figure out what they were going to do about her condition…

"What did she show you?" Sheeva asked Kiba as they leaned against a long fence. He remained silent.

"I don't want to talk about it." He answered colder than he had wished. She frowned.

She turned her attention to a stray tabby cat waltzing along the wall across from them. He looked at her, and then averted his attention to the stray cat as well.

"How are you feeling?" She asked. He shrugged.

"Fine." He replied. The sky was turning dark.

He "hmm"ed, and she didn't need words to know what he was asking.

"I'm okay." She said. She crossed her arms and hugged her belly, feeling her body temperature rise. Her mouth watered, but she forced it back. _Damn… why this sick feeling all of a sudden?_

She began to walk again, heading in the direction of the hotel.

"I'm going back. It's late." She announced. He nodded, and continued to watch the cat.

"Bye." She whispered.

"Yeah." He replied. She walked on, head held low.

"Sheeva?" He called after her. She stopped, and turned back to him.

"Goodnight." He said. She smiled, and waved before walking on.

* * *

**Sheeva: What the hell are you doing to me?**

Author: You'll see.

**Sheeva: *whimper* Don't hurt me. i don't want to die!**

Author: I'm not ganna kill you........

*smirk* _yet._

**Sheeva: KIBAAA!!! SHE'S GONNA KILL ME!!!!!! *runs around flailing her arms wildly.***

Author: Bwahahahaha!!!!! *Just joking... :)*


	13. First Exam

**Sorry for the long wait! It took me forever to get to a computer, since i'm locked out of my laptop for the next two weeks. (during christmas weekend too!!!)**

**anyway, here is the thirteenth chapter! Hope you all like it... if nyone wants to point anythign out, feel free! Thank you for all that reviewd!! (by the way, i am 1 short, so you all win!)**

**i am almost done with chapter 14**

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Chapter 13

Team 3 and Team 4 walked along together as they entered the large building, all prepared for the First Chuunin Exam. Sheeva and Kiba had studied together with Kankuro, Temari, and Gaara, and trained with Baki, Naruto, and Shibi.

All three were confident enough in their skills—Temari had tipped them off on the "Cheating" Rule. Waiting patiently, they stood before the doors. Kiba sent out one of his kikai to each of his teammates, who shivered from the feeling of a beetle crawling down their shirts. Sheeva winced as the bug dug itself into her skin, and then shook herself to distract from the sickening feeling of a tiny cold bug crawling around beneath her skin.

"Ohh, I'm going to enjoy getting rid of that thing!!! It's so annoying!" Eva complained, shifting around.

"Eventually you'll get used to it." Kiba put in. He had begun working on controlling his emotions, and was still working on communicating with the others.

"Yeah! The First Exams! I'm totally ready! I'm gonna take 'em all down!!! BOOYAH!!!" A voice yelled. The Sand-nins looked over at the voice. A small, pink and blonde haired boy was grinning, jumping around like a little kid. Eva scoffed.

"A kid… in a Chuunin exam… He's gonna be the first to die." She muttered, low so that only Kiba and Sheeva could hear.

The tow others that the blonde was with clapped their hands to his mouth, hissing at him to shut up. Sheeva watched them closely. The boy, dark haired and pale-faced, scowled at both the teammates, and the blonde, blue eyed, ogled over the black haired boy.

_Heh. We should chase after them first._ She thought. She turned to the front of the class; a tall, cloaked man walked in, with a long scar on his nose. **(A/N YAY!!! IRUKA!!!) **

"Welcome. It seems that you all had no problem in finding the First Examination Room." He announced, smiling. The Teenagers about the room stared at him, bored. He chuckled nervously, and scratched the back of his neck.

"Well, our previous teacher Ibiki retired last year, so I will be your instructor for now, until we find another interrogator." He explained.

"On those desks, there are tests. Sit down, and I don't want any teams sitting together. One person from each team in each column, please! There are three, that should be easy for you to figure out!" He commanded. Sheeva sat in the middle row, Kiba in the right, and Eva. Kiba's number was 30, Sheeva's was 12, and Eva's was 3.

"A test? This is gonna be _easy_!" Somebody shouted from the back. Iruka smirked.

"Really? There are a few drawbacks, though. One: There are Genin lined along the sides of the room. If they catch any of you cheating, they will mark you off. If you get five marks, you and your teams are withdrawn from the first portion of the test. Two: at the end of the test, those of you that have remained will have to answer a question. Mind you all, this is very important. If you pass, you may go on to the next exam. If you fail, however, you and your team are kicked out, and you will never be allowed to take the exam again! Do you all understand?" He asked. There was a wave of "Yeses", and Iruka nodded.

"You have two hours to take the Exam. To all of you, good luck!" He encouraged, setting a small clock on the table next to him.

"Begin." He announced. Sheeva picked up her pencil and stared at the test questions. These were insane! She hadn't learned anything about what she was being asked, and there were many different questions.

_2x­­­__2__-5x+17=0? If a ninja is aiming for an enemy that is hiding in a tree 50 feet tall and if the tree is 100 yards away, how far would he have to throw the shuriken, and at what angle? What the hell? This… this is impossible!!_

_**Don't be afraid. You have the ability to communicate with Kiba. And he has the Byakugan! Seek. Seek for the answer**_**.** Nami put in, making Sheeva jump. She furrowed her brow.

_Nami! What the hell? You don't talk to me for days, and then you just pop up?!_ She told her, angry at the demon. She hid away in a dark corner of Sheeva's mind, aching. She wasn't feeling well, and didn't want to talk, let alone move.

_**Just do it. Ask Kiba for help.**_ She demanded. Sheeva sighed, calming herself.

_Kiba… Do you understand any of this?_ She asked. She waited for a reply.

_I'm just as clueless as you._ He replied. She sighed, and glanced at the person next to her. She was filling out her paper, and she, apparently, had the right answer. She bit her lip to hide her excitement.

_Kiba! Someone has the answers over here! Do you think you can send one of your Kikaichu over here? I can hide it in my hair, or something…_

_Sheeva, are you suggesting that we cheat? We could get caught!_ Eva interrupted. Sheeva coughed to fake gasping.

_Yes. I am. We won't get caught!_ _It's foolproof!_ She said. Eva, who was sitting in the third row closest to the window, scratched her head in aggravation. Kiba smirked beneath his collar, and sent one of his bugs to each of them.

Sheeva nearly squeaked when the beetle crawled up her leg. Eva nearly screamed, but jumped, catching one of the ref's attentions. He watched her for a minute, and then shirked it off as a reflex.

Sheeva could feel the bug crawl up her neck and bury itself in her hair, examining the other person's paper. He reported the picture to the Kikai in Sheeva's body, and sent it to Kiba's and Eva's. They could see the answers in their heads, and began to copy them down as fast as they could.

Eva's kikai sent off a warning; one of the examiners clicked their pen on their clipboard. They paused, and then continued after a moment of silence. They continued in this pattern, pausing when there were clicks, and wincing whenever a team was called out. They were numbers quite close their own, and that made them even more jittery. Even Kiba was gripping the edge of his seat to try to remain calm.

**(A/N I am actually in my computer class, and I'm supposed to be typing notes, but I'm writing this!! What the hell am I thinking?!)**

The clock on the front desk rang, and Team 3 had just finished with the ninth question, awaiting the tenth and final one. Iruka turned it off, and smiled at the ninja left before him. Nearly half of the class was gone, and the ones that remained looked scared out of their wits. _I see. Ibiki tortured the little ones as well._

"Here is the final question. Those of you that want to leave, leave now, and you will be able to return. Those of you that stay, you risk failing, and never being able to progress to Chuunin." Iruka explained. Some teams stood and left, giving up. Sheeva, Kiba, and Eva stood their ground, staying seated. Iruka waited for a moment.

"There is no final question. Those of you that stayed, passed." HE announced. Some of the Ninja groaned, releasing their buildup of stress. The same blonde from before barked out a "Really?!"

Iruka nodded, and let the teens recuperate before continuing.

"Yes. The entire purpose of this test was to see how well you could all work under stress. Also, the questions could not be solved by Genin such as yourselves, so we implanted a few Ninja that could." He explained.

"Then… then this was a test to see how stealthy we could be?" Sheeva asked. Iruka nodded.

"The final question was to test your courage, and the way that you would respond in a stressful situation. For those that walked away, they were cowards, and couldn't possibly be worthy as shinobi." He said. Sheeva sighed and set her head down on the table. Eva and Kiba did the same, smiling with relief.

Iruka smiled and bowed, then stepped out of the room, followed shortly by a man in a green jumpsuit with a black, fishbowl haircut and green eyes, making a rather _dynamic_ entry, blowing the door off of its hinges and spraying the examiners on the other side with many pieces of wood and splinters. Sheeva held back a laugh.

"G-Guy sensei!! What an honor!!" One of the teens in the back yelled out, rushing to the examiner, wearing the same green jumpsuit.

"Well! You must be Law! Lee's finest Taijutsu student!! Ha ha!" He laughed heartedly. The boy had hearts in his eyes.

"Hai, hai!! Lee-sensei is the greatest sensei ever!!" He shouted. Guy smiled, then suddenly punched the boy, making him land back in his seat.

"Silence! All of you! Are you ready? The second Chuunin exam is about to begin!!" He boomed in a loud, obnoxious voice. All of the passing students Sweat-dropped, nodding. Guy grinned from ear to ear.

"Then let's go!" He announced, jumping out of the window, breaking the glass with his foot. Sheeva, Eva, and Kiba rejoined in their group of three, walking along with the other passed students to the next Chuunin Exam, Guy leading the way.

* * *

**there you go. now leave me to my musing, and i'll produce another chapter.**

**thank you, Baby cougar, Katsin and...the other guy.... thanks for your reviews, and thank you for your help on my teams.**

**ja ne**


	14. Second Exam and Ritual

Chapter 14

"Gather round! All of you with your teams please! Now… I will explain the rules!" Maito Guy boomed out. Everyone turned and paid attention, trying to ignore the laughing attempt at the ridiculous Green Jumpsuit.

"First rule! Get to the middle tower as fast as you can in less than one week!"

"Second rule! You can only enter the tower if you have two scrolls! One of Heaven, and one of Earth! Each team will receive a random scroll of either one, and only one!" He barked. They all nodded their heads uninterestedly. Sheeva felt someone staring at her, and her stomach tightened with the forgotten fear of being watched. She hid her eyes with her hair and looked around, turning her head to pretend listening to Kiba, checking behind her. Sure enough, there was a team of older teens, sneering at her and whispering amongst themselves. They had the same aura about them as her uncle did. Anger, deceit, and bloodlust.

She turned her head away to act as though she were listening to the Examiner, but focused in on their conversation.

"We just have to wait until nightfall. Then we'll attack, and activated the seal, Baka." One whispered. She gasped, and her heartbeat quickened. One of the Ninja noticed this, and hushed the others.

"Keep it down, you fools! She can hear us! Her body's reacting!" He hissed.

She put her hand in her pocket and gripped Gaara's pendant that he had given her for good luck. She took a deep breath, and calmed herself, pushing the strangers' conversation out of her mind. _I'll be fine. I'll be fine. We'll just get through this quickly._

Kiba's Kikaichu picked up on Sheeva's change, and alarmed him. He turned to her—her face was pale, her eyes were wide, and she looked as though she could puke at any minute.

"Sheeva, are you ok?" He asked. She slowly shook her head no.

"What is it?" He asked. The Kikaichu in her body was trying to get out of her before it burned—her temperature was skyrocketing.

_The people behind us… the amount of bloodlust! It's insane! And, I think they're talking about targeting us! We have got to be on our guard!_ She warned. Kiba sent out one of his kikai to the enemies behind them, and it came back, highly frightened and cautious.

_Holy shit. These aren't normal teenagers we're dealing with…_Kiba stole a look behind him, and the three were watching Sheeva without relent, sneering at him as they realized he was watching them too. They turned away, grumbling amongst themselves.

Eva brought them out of their trance, shaking them and walking up to Guy, receiving a scroll. They concealed it well before anyone could see which one they had. Team 4 held the Heaven scroll.

* * *

Kiba used his Byakugan to search behind him, while Eva watched the sides, and Sheeva watched the front. They had been wandering in the dreaded forest for about an hour, and thankfully had not run into the team that had been watching them earlier. Sheeva and Kiba had paused for a while to stare at the wondrous bugs of Konoha forest, whilst Eva was quivering, trying to stay as far away from the bugs as possible.

They heard a twig snap to the left of them, and a branch snap from behind. Kiba saw it a little too late, as he was preoccupied with an enemy that was lingering behind them.

"Get down!" He shouted, just as a kunai flew by Sheeva's head. She screamed as it barely scratched the tip of her nose. Kiba looked around. Not only were they being followed from behind, but also there were two ninja on either side of the team. He sent out his Kikaichu to attack. They swarmed the two ninja on the side, but there weren't enough to take care of the ninja behind them. He tackled Kiba down, and, using tree roots from the ground, tied the two girls down as well.

"Fuck!" Sheeva swore. She was struggling hard against the tree roots, trying to bite her way out of them.

Kiba called back his beetles, and they began to chew on the tough dirty roots that bound their master. One of the ninja kicked Kiba in the side of the head, and he yelled in pain. The three ninja stopped their onslaught, and let the sand ninja get a good look at their faces.

"Well… which one of you shall we kill first?" They sneered. One of them had blue hair, the other green, and then the female had red hair. They were the same team that had been watching Sheeva earlier.

"Leave them alone! If it's me you want, you take me!" Sheeva yelled. She had a clue of what they were after, and couldn't bear to bring her teammates to death for it.

They looked at each other and laughed.

"Ok." They said. The person that had tied them down with roots snapped his fingers, and the roots from the trees receded back into the ground. They picked her up, and warned her that if she resisted, they would kill her teammates. She stopped struggling, and let them lead her away, a single tear falling down her face.

"No! Sheeva! Don't let them take— Kiba was silenced by another kick to the head.

She left without another look back.

* * *

The two Ninja that had kidnapped Sheeva had tied her to a tree in the middle of a clearing, and kept looking up at the moon.

"What are you going to do to me?" Sheeva asked. One of the ninja, the blue-haired one, stared at her, smirking before walking up to her.

"You want answers? You won't get them unless you give me something." He taunted. She shut her mouth, trying to keep a straight face.

"What would that be?" She growled. He ran a finger down her cheek.

"Company from the Desert Flower?" He whispered. She snapped at him, trying to bite his hand.

"More like a Desert Cobra!" The other teased.

"Shut-up, idiot!" He barked.

"You see this string of chakra? This leads directly to your friends. With one little burst of chakra, I can create an explosion that will send them to hell. And it'll be all your fault." He whispered. She stopped, staring into his eyes fearfully.

"Don't… Please, don't." She pleaded. He smiled and cupped her chin, tilting her head a little.

"Then don't fight. And we'll get along just fine." He whispered, kissing her roughly. The other male complained.

"Why do you always get to kiss the girls?" He asked.

"Because you're too ugly, Baka. Besides, Kayla will never forgive you. That's the downside of having a girlfriend." He smirked. Sheeva turned her face away.

"I know a lot more about you than you think. Your demon hasn't awaken yet… That's what we'll be doing to you now. Well, more precisely, when the moon arises." He explained softly. Sheeva began to shake.

"Why are you doing this?" She whimpered. He stared at her.

"That's a big question, Kunoichi. That's gonna cost you a little more than a kiss." He teased, running his hands along her sides, lifting her shirt a little bit. He slipped his fingers to her pants, unbuttoning them and unzipping them.

"Get off! No, get off!" She yelled. The male sent a wave of chakra down the string, and she heard a few screams in the distance.

"Don't! Stop! Okay, I'm sorry!" She yelled, crying. He stopped, and sighed.

"You know, you've got quite the loud mouth. Maybe this'll shut you up!" He growled, crushing his mouth to hers, shoving his tongue in her mouth. He slipped his hand into her pants and she screamed, tightening her legs to keep him out.

"The moon's out, Kovu. Let's not forget our plan here. We have to—

--release the demon, yes, I know. Pfftt… why does Horane-sama want us to do this again?" He questioned, pulling his hand out of her pants and backing away. She took a breath, thankful for the interruption.

"I don't know!" He said haughtily.

Kovu shrugged, and looked at the moon. It had risen, and was now high in the sky, looming over the clearing. It was also a shade orange.

He grabbed a book, opened it, and began to say a few strange words, and Sheeva screamed as she felt a hand grab her arm. Out of the tree had sprung arms with hands attached, and the roots that bound her were replace by these limbs, and she rose into the air, turning to lie on her back in mid-air. She felt a pain in her stomach, and saw a purple light shining beneath her shirt. She fought against her bindings, but the harder she tried, the more they held tight. She gave up, exhausted.

The moon was now turning a deep red, almost a crimson-red, and the earth was almost covering the moon completely in the eclipse.

"Chi! Kaze! Ho! Mizu! Konserun ken sougishiki za akuma!" (Earth Wind Fire Water, Combine and wake the Demon!) The red moon pulsated with light, and a small strand of red light shot down, illuminating Sheeva's stomach. It thinned and grew denser, burning the outline of her scar into her stomach, steam rising from the burns. She screamed and writhed, trying to get the light off of her stomach, but the roots held tightly, and she couldn't budge.

The earth beneath her cracked, and fire rose up out of the ground. The Wind picked up, and rain began to fall, steaming as it hit the fire. **(A/N ever been in a room surrounded by fire and you spit in it? It's like that… but much worse…)**

Being steamed on one side, and hail upon on the other, Sheeva fought against her bindings so hard that she thought her arms and legs would pop out of their sockets. The world around her began to spin, becoming dark red, blue, and yellow blurs. She tried to stay conscious, but the blurs and the pain was too much for her senses to handle. She let her eyes close, and quit resisting, and felt her head swimming as she sunk into unconsciousness.

* * *

Kiba and Eva were listening to Sheeva screaming. Kiba thought the worse—She was being tortured to death, and they were slicing her up with kunai, or possibly… possibly… he couldn't bring himself to think that.

The Kikaichu were almost done chewing through the roots, and he lay still as he tried to prevent being caught by the ninja with red hair. She was picking at her nails, ignoring the others. He sent a swarm of his kikai, who gladly enclosed the female, crawling into her skin, eating away at her chakra. She only screamed shortly, and the bugs receded back into Kiba's pores. Eva, who was entirely freaked out by lying next to "bug-boy" didn't move as he stood, and only moved after he was about four feet away.

"Can you find her?" Eva asked him. He nodded.

He called a group of his bugs to rest on his palm.

"Seek." He commanded. They took off, flying through the forest at top speed, senses tingling and alarming them that their fellow female beetle was in danger. He ran after them, and followed close on their heels, stopping at a small clearing. He looked—there was Sheeva, hanging in the air, with the ground beneath her split open, fire licking at her body, and the red light from the moon still connected to her stomach. He tried to send his bugs to attack the men nearby, but they bounced off of an invisible force.

The green headed boy turned to the disturbance; Kovu was still deep in a trance, muttering the same words over and over again. The green haired boy headed to the spot where Kiba and Eva were hiding. They silenced. He stopped barely a foot in front of them, sniffed around, peered into the darkness with his eyes, and then shrugged, walking away.

_If he's able to get in, than so can we._ Kiba whispered to Eva through the kikai. She nodded, and began to crawl forward, trying to stay hidden amongst the trees and bushes.

Kiba crawled quickly beside her, and, placing a hand on the barrier, jerked it back, shocked. It was freezing to his touch. The barrier rippled yellow, and Eva stared at him, unsure of what he had just done. She reached out and touched it too, and noticed that there was a small hole between her two fingers when she touched them to the barrier. The Green headed Ninja wasn't paying attention, but was watching the moon with awe.

_At the same time, we'll set our hands on it, and see if we can get through that way. Ready? Three, Two, One!_ They set their hands on the wall, and sure enough, a hole about the size of their heads appeared. They moved further apart until one could sneak into the hole.

One in, Kiba released a large swarm of his Kikai to attack the green haired ninja, who let out a short scream. Bugs poured out of his mouth as they devoured every last bit of his chakra.

Eva had tried to throw the other ninja into a Genjutsu, but failed miserably as it bounced off. She was trapped in her own Genjutsu, screaming and shouting in fear. Kiba finished off the green haired ninja, and turned to the other ninja, who was still the trance-like state, muttering a different set of words. The ray of light from the moon pulsated again with a large amount of light traveling through it. **(A/N Like the way food looks while it's going down the Esophagus…)**

It embedded itself in her stomach, and Sheeva arched as the light sunk into her body.

Kiba went to punch the ninja muttering the words, and he was thrown back by an invisible force. Eva had managed to break out of her Genjutsu, and helped Kiba up. The invisible aura around the man turned red, and snake-like rays headed for Kiba and Eva. They screamed, and tried to run, but the rays wrapped around their ankles and lifted them into the air, dangling them upside-down. They watched as a hand rose from the ground, and unsheathed a large katana, slicing the man in half. The fire beneath Sheeva died down, and the lunar eclipse ended, and Sheeva floated to the ground, Unconscious. The blood from the man covered her body, and then sunk beneath the ground.

Kiba and Eva watched as she sprouted gigantic, demon-like wings, and a long, spear-ended tail. Kiba and Eva began to scream some more at the horrific designs that were scarred along her skin. There was a circle in the middle of her face, circles at the shoulders, elbows, knees and ankles, and on her stomach was the Kanji for Blood and Sacrifice. Thick lines of Red chakra connected the many circles.

The snakes of red light lowered them to the ground, and let them go, floating back to the remnants of the dead man. Waiting for a while, Kiba and Eva snuck up to her, shaking her shoulder lightly. She didn't stir, and they set up a small camp to watch over her as she slept.

* * *

**Well, how was that?! hehehe... i'm rather proud of myself.**

**BTW... I'll be working as hard as i can to get chapter 16 going again. (after the break, my brain's fried, and my train of thought is all crashed and tangled.)**

**also, this is the first christmas that i have ever had with my dad, so i will be spending time with him.**


	15. Truth

Chapter 15

Team 4 arrived at the middle tower around noon of the third day. Sheeva was now able to walk on her own, but was still very weak. Her wings and tail were becoming useable, and she was able to cut away small trees and bushes in their way to save time.

Eva and Kiba had rationed the water, giving most of it to Sheeva, but she refused, saying that she was fine, and that they were going to need it more; they probably would be ushered into a fight right after they reached the tower.

They entered the tower, and leaned against the cool wall. Kiba took the scrolls out, staring at them.

"So… can we open them now, or not?" Eva asked, growing impatient.

"I guess so. There's not any harm in trying it, now is there?" Sheeva asked. Kiba shrugged, and slowly began to open the scroll. Inside, there was nothing written except for Earth on the Earth scroll, and Heaven on the Heaven scroll.

"There's nothing!" He said, rather surprised. He had expected maybe new instructions, or a secret Jutsu, or a hiding place, but just the signs of the scrolls? This puzzled him.

"Good job. I knew that you three would pass, just… not this quickly. You passed this test even quicker than Kankuro, Temari, and Gaara did. She-Sheeva? What the hell happened to you?" Baki asked, staring at her with fear.

"We were attacked, and Sheeva was kidnapped. She… well, they…" Eva started, but then trailed off.

"They turned me into _this_." Sheeve finished haughtily. Baki stared at Kiba for a better answer. He nodded his head. Baki looked back at Sheeva.

"What… who? Who attacked you three like this?" He asked.

"We don't know. They didn't have a hitai-ate, so we don't know what tribe they were from either. But obviously, they knew about who Sheeva was, and they went after her only. And then they did some sort of ritual, and did this to her…" Eva put in. Kiba felt angry at the fact that someone had even dared to do something as horrid as this.

Baki sighed, scratched the back of his forehead, and dug in his backpack for some ointment.

"Here, Sheeva. Use this. It should help with whatever wounds you have. Kiba, Eva, you use it too. They're talking about doing a preliminary match, because apparently, they have too many contestants. Sheeva, can you still fight?" He asked, handing them the small bottle of ointment.

"Probably, sir. If not, then I will withdraw." She replied boldly. Kiba and Eva stared at her with shock.

"Sheeva, what the hell are you thinking? You can't withdraw! You've gotten this far!" Kiba yelled, forgetting to keep his calm exterior intact. Eva and Baki stared at him in surprise, and Sheeva stared blankly ahead, as though she hadn't heard anything.

"Kiba… my main concern now is to see you and Eva survive. It's obvious that someone wants me dead. I will _not _bring either one of you into this!" She growled. He felt hurt, but at the same time, his respect for her skyrocketed.

He wanted to say something to make her feel better, but didn't know what to say. He was afraid of her reactions now. _Would she hurt me? Would she push me away?_

After Sheeva had finished applying the ointment to Eva's wounds, she turned to Kiba, softly muttering an apology before putting a dot of the ointment on her thumb, and spreading it on a cut on his cheek. Eva took the medicine from her and helped Sheeva, making sure to put some of it around the place where her wings protruded, for there was a lot of torn skin and blood clumped about there. Her stomach was the same, and her skin had returned to normal.

"Are you three ready for this? Sheeva… is there a way that you can hide the wings and tail?" Baki asked. Sheeva shrugged. She then thought about trying to retract the wings and tail, like the way the cat retracted its claws. She focused on the muscles around those parts of her body, and began to feel a strange pulling sensation at those points.

It was a painful process, but after about five minutes she was able to have the wings and tail fully hidden. She shook herself, and stood straight. Baki nodded to them, and pointed at two large doors.

"Go behind those doors. Go and line up with the others, and wait for your next instructions. The test will be over in four days." He explained. They nodded, and walked in, glancing around the cool room. At the back there was the sign of the tiger formed by two large stone hands, and a large training area with two rows of balcony on either side. The Hokage was standing in the middle, along with the Kazekage and Baki.

Gaara smiled at his villagers, but then became alarmed as he saw part of the condition that Sheeva was in.

"Welcome to the end of the Second Exam! You have passed, and quite quickly, I must say. You may rest in that area over there, and there is food and water to drink over in the other corner. Unfortunately, there is no medical services, so you'll have to rely on yourselves or your teammates. You may try to talk with the other teams; really, I encourage it." He said, smiling at the three. Gaara nodded, and walked with the team to the food area.

"Sheeva, what happened to you?" He asked as soon as they were out of earshot of Naruto. Sheeva shivered.

"I…" She kept quiet. She didn't want Gaara to worry, or even worse, Kankuro.

Kiba stepped in and explained for her, and Gaara's eyes widened.

"What? Someone tried to kill you?" _Oh, Shit… it's already happened. Nami's form is coming out! Fuck! FUCK!! _Gaara nearly lost his lunch at their feet, and he had to grip the sides of his robes to keep from acting out.

"I'm keeping them hidden, Gaara. Don't tell Kankuro, please." She asked. Gaara softened.

"Sheeva… I need to talk to you." He said, pulling her away from the group. Kiba and Eva helped themselves to the food, busying themselves to distract them from their problems.

"What is it?" She asked. He sighed, and sat down in a nearby chair.

"Nami, your… the demon, she… there's these people that are trying to capture demons. They find them a… bad influence on the world today. They… They called themselves the Akatsuki, but now they have changed. they have a new leader, and his name… his name is Renoah." He replied. It was tough for him to say this, but he didn't realize that Renoah was her uncle.

"What?! Re-r_-Renoah?_" She sputtered, eyes going wide. She stood, and backed away.

"You're kidding! You're kidding!" She shouted at him. Everyone stopped and stared at her, wondering what the fuss was about. Kiba and Eva rushed to her side.

Gaara circled his sand around the three, and teleported them to a different room.

"Kiba, Eva, I need you to leave. I have to talk with her alone. This is very important." He demanded. They nodded and left. Sheeva had begun to cry, and was shaking uncontrollably, muttering words that made no sense, putting in a curse word in every sentence or so.

"Do you know Ren-

-Don't say his name! Goddammit! That son of bitch won't leave me the fuck alone!" She swore. Gaara was speechless, never having heard her swear this strongly before, and admittedly, it scared even _him_.

"Sheeva, calm down. I'm not going to be able to help you if you don't tell me what is wrong." He said.

"I thought he was in jail! He was in jail! How did he get out?" She asked through teary eyes. Gaara sighed.

"He's a shape-shifter, and now an S-class criminal. Was he… he was your uncle, wasn't he?" He asked. She nodded to his dismay.

"How long ago did he get out?" She asked. Gaara's stomach tightened even more.

"Shortly after you turned seven." He admitted.

"What?" She shrieked. Gaara shrunk back in regret, and he had tears in his eyes.

"You knew? You knew all this time and none of you ever told me? Why? WHY, dammit?" She yelled, falling to her knees. Gaara sighed.

"We couldn't risk it. We wanted you to be happy, and to feel safe. We didn't want you to live in fear, Sheeva, please, try to understand. We wanted to keep you safe. I sent a notice out to every city in the wind, fire, and water country that I could. I summoned all of the best magic professors that I could, and had them try to explain to me what to do to prevent this from happening. I was against you coming and taking this exam, but your Father and Aunt talked me into letting you go. I'm so sorry, Sheeva. I'm so sorry!" He burst into tears, rushing to her and hugging her tightly against his chest, crying into her shoulder. She was crying too.

Kiba and Eva were listening in outside of the room, and both had tears in their eyes as well. Kiba managed to blink his away, but Eva's fell down her cheeks. She wiped them away.

_God… I feel so sorry for her. I can't… my past probably doesn't even compare to hers…_ She thought. She turned and walked away from the door, whilst Kiba stayed behind to listen more.

After Gaara's breakdown, he wiped his face, sighing deeply.

"The last we heard of you uncle's whereabouts, he was in Tanzaku town, not far from here. That was about three weeks ago." He explained.

"Who gave you the information?" She asked.

"Konoha's greatest: Hatake Kakashi. We had Ibiki, their interrogator, question the ninjas that he sent in." Gaara explained.

"Then he's seen what my uncle can do. Who are his accomplices?" she asked. Gaara's stomach dropped again.

"You're not going after them." He demanded. She glared at him.

"Try and stop me, Gaara." She hissed before leaving him alone, shutting off the light and slamming the door. She walked right past Kiba without noticing his presence, and he sighed out of relief. _Good, she didn't see me._

Quickly he ran out to reach the main room before Sheeva arrived to prevent suspicion. He greeted her with a small smile, although he was aching on the inside. She ignored him as she walked past, heading for a bottle of water. She opened one and chugged it down, grabbing another and downing it as fast as the one before. Eva and Kiba caught glances with each other and backed away as she began to punch the wall to release her pent-up anger.

* * *

**Oi... if i was ever in a situation like that, i don't know _what_ i would do.... scares the heck out of me just thinking about it. ah well...**

**i realize that i REALLY screwed up the time here, and i don't know why... i think i'll just go with what i have though, and try and figure out what went wrong.**

**thanks to all of you, and happy holidays!**

**ciao ciao.**


	16. Jutsu, Arrythmia, and Severe Beatings

Man this took me forever. glad i got it done not.I'm so tired. it's midnight!!

anyway, i am using the outline that someone submitted for the teams, thank you for you support! also, incase you have not read my recent update, i require 50 reviews now. (Sorry, but i'm bitchy when i'm tired.) lols.

anyway, enjoy.

* * *

Chapter 16

Sheeva continued to punch the wall with unrelenting anger, ignoring all of the others as she punched tiny dents in the wall with each punch. There was now a gaping hole where she had punched, and Naruto was staring, mouth agape. It was a whole new Sakura, except at a younger age and with black hair that looked like Temari's.

"Well! What the reason for Sheeva to be pissed off this time?" Kimi asked as she approached them. Her teammates snickered behind her. Sheeva turned on her, gritting her teeth.

"Shut the fuck up, and stay out of this. My business isn't your concern!" She shouted, turning back to the wall. Kimi grimaced, annoyed at the ignorance that she was receiving from her old adversary.

Kimi huffed and walked away. Kiba stood by Sheeva's side, his bugs guarding him against the chunks of stone that hit him every now and then.

"Talk. What's wrong?" He asked, taking a drink of water. She stopped and stared at him.

"You really wanna know? She asked him rather haughtily. He turned his face to her and nodded.

"Hai." He replied. She sighed, and stared at the ground.

"I'm not ready to tell you. I'm not ready to face it. Leave me alone about it." She growled before taking his bottle of water and walking away, taking a large drink of it. She emptied it and threw it back. He caught it, and raised his eyebrows.

_Kami, what are we getting into?_

The next three days passed quite slowly; the ninjas that had arrived early spent most of their time recuperating, even though they only had water and food, it was still useful to rest up and get to learn the other ninja's attacks, and plan some strategy for defeating them.

Sheeva had slept most of the days, and went for a few walks around the building that they were kept in; already she had found a rather old classroom, with a drawing board and chalk still in it. There she drew out the strange designs on her body, and the scar that shone on her belly whenever her emotions changed. She had noted that red was either anger or love, green was jealousy or envy, blue was peaceful, white was relaxed, and yellow was energetic.

Gaara, on the other hand, was busy conversing with Naruto about the current situation, and every now and then, Hatake Kakashi would appear and give the latest information on Renoah and the Akatsuki.

He would then sit and read his Ichi Ichi Paradise book, and ignore the rest of the students.

Gaara had also contacted Kankuro and Temari about what had occurred with Sheeva in the forest, and had told them that Renoah was Sheeva's uncle. When Temari notified Kankuro about the situation, he nearly lost his lunch at her feet. He feverently began to check up on everything, becoming extremely cautious about his surroundings, even going as far as making sure that there were no predators or stalkers in the area that Team 4 and the sand siblings were to be staying in for the next month or so.

Gaara sighed as Kakashi told him that he had found nothing on Renoah, and scanned amongst the many ninja for his niece. She was leaning against the wall, checking up on Karasu's condition.

There was the deep, low sound of a gong, and all the ninja aligned themselves in their teams, fourteen rows of three. Naruto stood out amongst them all, fourteen Jounin standing behind him.

"Welcome… to the end of the Second exam!" He announced.

"Because there are so many of you that have passed the Second Exam, we will have to do a preliminary round to the Third Exam. You will all be paired against someone from another team, and the winner will go on to the Third Exam, while the loser will be eliminated from the Exam. Those of you that do not want to partake in the round, you may leave now your teams will also have to leave with you, however. To those of you that stay, we wish you luck." He announced. At least two people chose to leave, and their teams with them. **(A/N if my math is correct, that should leave… 36 people. And then… 18? So in the Third Exam, there will be 9 battles. Bene. Molto bene…)**

"Those of you that remain, please go and stand up in those balconies. You will be randomly drawn, and will fight against the other person." A person with a black hairdo announced. The ninjas nodded, and followed orders.

"The first match…Kirin Yamanaka and Kimi Nekoami! The match is over when one opponent cannot fight anymore, or until I am forced to interfere." He explained. Kimi and Kirin walked out, greeting each other. Kirin was rather nice about her intro, while Kimi was her usual intimidating self. They let Sasuke walk out of range, and the Jounin leaders and Kages stepped out of the way before beginning their fight.

Kimi rushed for Kirin, taking out a few kunai ond holding them between her fingers. She threw them out in a punch, and Kirin dodged them, bringing up her knee to kick Kimi in the stomach as she passed. Kimi fell, gasping for air and coughing. Kirin jumped away, guarding herself and watching what Kimi was to do next.

Kimi stood and wiped away a drop of blood from the corner of her mouth.

"Interesting. And here I thought Konoha Ninja were all a bunch of pushovers." She commented. Kirin smirked.

"Who told you that? We're not pushovers." She retorted. Kimi smirked.

"None of your business. Let's dance." She rushed for Kirin again, this time whipping out a longer kunai. She sliced down at the girl's knees, and the girl jumped. Kimi quickly sliced up at the air, nearly missing the girl's throat. Everyone in the room instantly felt the bloodlust in the air rise up several degrees. The jounin and Kage leaders weren't concerned, however, and so let the fight continue.

Kirin gathered her senses and formed a few quick signs, each with her eyes closed. On the last, she snapped open her eyes, glaring at her target. Kimi was standing next to the wall, taunting her.

"Burning Rush!" She shouted, punching the ground. A wall of flame weaved its way to where Kimi stood, and quick as lightning, it consumed her in a spiral of fire. Kirin did another round of signs, and stomped her foot into the ground.

"Gravity grabber!" She shouted. The ground beneath Kimi flipped over, and crushed her flat between two large slabs of rock. Kirin released the jutsu, and let the destruction and smoke subside. Kimi didn't move, but she was still alive, breathing raggedly.

"What the Hell was that?" She slowly and weakly exclaimed, struggling to get to her feet. Kirin guarded herself with a couple of kunai. She had used up almost all of the chakra she had left.

"Are you serious? After that beating, you're _still_ going to get up?" Kirin asked her weakened opponent. Kimi managed to stand, and coughed up some blood.

"I…give!" She said, raising her arms to the best of her ability at the moment. She then fell to her knees, unconscious. Kirin sighed, and walked away.

Sasuke walked in and intervened. Two medics ran in and picked up Kimi, rolled her onto a stretcher, and carried her away.

Eva stared at the woman that had beaten Kimi.

_She's incredibly strong. What a jutsu! I… I want to fight her!_ She secretly wished. Then, she knew that she had to get through this preliminary round at any cost. _I may even have to resort to… to my Genjutsu…_

The screen of names shuffled again, and all looked at it, eager to see who would fight this round.

"Zuzu Hyuuga and Kana Hyuuga. Step forward!" Sasuke called out. Two ninja with the same white eyes stepped out onto the field. Kiba's eyes widened as he noticed and realized that these were his 'cousins'. They both glared at each other, and neither uttered a greeting.

"Ready? Begin!" Sasuke yelled, disappearing in a puff of smoke. The two stood there for a moment, glaring and spitting words at each other.

The Jounin of the room remembered the same incident from nearly fifteen years before, and felt an instant wave of hindsight 20/20. **(A/N this term means that when a mistake has been made, you can look back on it and realize what you could have done to make things better in the present. Like breaking your arm because of your shoelaces tangling in your bike tires. Lesson? Double knot your shoe laces and tuck the strings in. ****J****) **

"Not surprised that you made it this far, Zuzu. But can you outlast me?" Kana taunted. Zuzu glared at her.

"Just because you're from the main branch doesn't mean that you're better than me, Hana-sama! So shut it!" He snapped. Kana laughed.

"Hanabi's not going to like you talking to me like that. Why don't you shut up and fight me! Or are you too scared to do so?" She giggled. Zuzu thought of his father, how many times they had been beaten for wrongdoings against the main branch, insult thrown at Kana. And especially Neji's kindness towards his First-Aunt, Hinata.

He braced himself, stiffening his hand, and feeling the chakra pulsate through his body. She stood in a defensive mode, watching as he prepared himself to attack her. They had trained together many times before, so this time wouldn't be any different. He rushed for her, swiftly attempting to prod her with his chakra laced hands. She dodged and shoved his hands out of her way, and quickly countered his attacks with quick jabs to his chest and abdomen.

Creating a large hand of chakra, she thrust her hand to the ground, weaving the hand to rest beneath his feet. He tried to jump, but she caught his ankle. The chakra sunk into his skin and crept to his heart, and all the while, it sucked the chakra from Zuzu's body.

"Kana-sama! N-n-AGGH!!!!" He screamed with immense pain as his cousin squeezed his heart. Blood flowed from his mouth as he clutched at his chest. Sasuke and Neji rushed to stop the Kana, punching her back, breaking her concentration. Sakura ran to the boy, forming some signs all the while and examining his chest.

_Oh, Shit! Arrythmia! One more second, and he'll die!_ She regained her focus quickly and set to healing the heart. Ten-Ten ran in, and helped to keep the lungs operating, and Ino checked to make sure that Zuzu didn't go into deeper shock or cardiac arrest.

The two medics ran out again, waiting for the women to finish their work, and helped to place Zuzu upon the stretcher. Kiba caught sight of Kana, and glared at her with deep hatred.

_The way that the main branch treats their own kind… they'd be better off committing genocide! And yet, Konoha allows such treatment, such torture?! I'll be the one to challenge her. I'll see to it! I will absolutely, no matter what, pass this portion!_ Kiba continued to glare at the girl, even as she walked back up the stairs to the balcony and stood with her group. They even edged away from her, unsure of what to say. Choji was not pleased with his student, if anything; he wanted nothing more than to punish her immediately. But, as this was neither the place nor the time, and especially since she was Hanabi's daughter, he could not.

As the room cleared out for a break, Kiba stood as though his feet were planted into the balcony. Sheeva broke him out of his daze, and they left, Baki and Gaara walking to the room with the others.

Kiba stopped to stare at the blood that Zuzu had spilled. He stooped and dipped his fingertips in it, and made a vow that he would find some way to set the lower branch of the Hyuuga free from their torture.

* * *

Pardon me for my lack of originality, but as i said, i'm fried!!

thank you, and have a nice day. (or night, depending on which.)


	17. Bugs and Genjutsu

WHOO HOO!!! I have my Computer Privelages back!!!!

HA HA HA HA!!!! (God, i HATE being grounded!!!!!!!!!)

so... i'm still trying ot figure out where the hell i'm going with this, and i also realized that i screwed up. (I guess this is why my father keeps suggesting that i should create an outline... those of you that are extremely clever, you may catch it, if you don't, you'll figure it out later, cuz i'll end up spitting it out anyway. Until then, enjoy the bitterness of torture!!) ku ku ku....

Anyway, hope you all are well, and i still require 50 reviews for the next chapter. (It's good, trust me.)

Eventually, I'll get the hell out of this procrastination phase i'm in ( i have finals NEXT WEEK! OMG OMG OMG!!!)

ja ne. wish me luck! (Hope you all are well.)

* * *

Chapter 17

As everyone ate their meals in silence, Kiba surveyed the room full of strange foreigners. Their hosts, the Konoha Ninja, stuck to one table, while the rain, wind, and grass sat together at another table. Gaara had sat with the three sand nin, and every now and then he picked a mushroom out of Sheeva's lunch. His defense for this was that he "was hungry, and really didn't mind sharing food off his niece's plate."

A large bell rang, announcing the end of the short break, and all the ninja stood, walking back into the large arena. They turned their heads to the screen, and watched as the names popped up randomly on the screen.

"Tazaro Nara and Kiba Aburame." Sasuke announced. Kiba smirked and walked calmly out to the arena. Tazaro Nara greeted him, and Kiba nooded in response.

"You may begin when ready." Sasuke announced, stepping back. Tazaro studied his oppponent, and Kiba waited for him to act.

_Hmm. Usually my opponent would have moved by now. He is waiting for me to move, then? What, is this guy a genius too?_ Tazaro crouched, and took off, jumping behind him and kicking him into the air. Kiba flipped around, landed on his feet, and sent out a wave of his bugs. They chased after Tazaro, who began to run from them. He formed a few seals, and did a fire jutsu. The bugs that Kiba had sent out fell to the ground, toasted. Tazaro smirked as he noticed this, and slowed himself, trying to figure out a way that he could do the same without using as much chakra.

Kiba realized what he was doing, since Eva often did this when they practiced with each other. He sent out a two waves of his kikai, one to the left, and one to the right. The left one attacked the fornt, and the right attacked Tazaro from behind, not giving him a chance to escape. The bugs swarmed around and sucked away some of Tazaro's chakra, but not enough to kill him. They retreated, and Tazaro fell to his knees, then rushed for him and kicked him in the face, sending him flying back. He hit the wall, and lay there, stunned.

_What did he do to me? What the hell did he do? I can't move. My... those bugs! They stole my chakra! Fucking Freak!!_ He was raving, and attempted to roll over and stand. No use.

Kiba smiled and towered over Tazaro, and Sasuke called out that he was the winner

_I'm quite disappointed. This was not a challenge. Rather, it was very very easy! TOO EASY!_

Kiba walked away in victory, and stood beside his teammates.

"That was the fastest fight I've ever seen! You did very well." Sheeva commented. Eva nodded in agreement.

"It was easy." He muttered cooly.

"Eva Nairobi and Kubiki Madoka! Take your places, please." Sasuke called out.

Eva walked out to the field, and stared at her opponent. He was rather handsome, brown hair, hazel eyes, and the same height as her. There weren't very many that caught her eyes, but this one captivated her. He shook her head and cleared it, and then reached out her hand to shake his.

"Ready? You may begin!" Sasuke Announced, backing away. She readied herself for a jutsu, and punched her fist into the ground. A large pillar of stone encased him, and held fast. He bit his lip and spit the blod out onto the rock. It began to wilt away, freeing a hand. He reached into his pocket and took out a kunai, stabbing his hand with it, and spreading the blood on the rock. It sizzled at it melted away, and he droppe dto the ground, standing calmly.

"That was interesting. You'll have to try a little harder."

Eva gaped at him. _That was... that was awesome! Is that..._

"Is it a Kekkai Genkai?" She asked. He smiled.

"Clever. You're not the type I expected. Usually all blondes are simpletons..." He quirked an eyebrow at her. She huffed.

"Take that back!" She formed a sign and reached into the ground, pulling out large tree root. She spun it around and cracked it like a whip.

He stared at her, wide eyed.

"So... a ninjutsu user. Let's see if you'll withstand my Taijutsu!" He rushed for her, sliding beneath her legs and jumping up behind her, spinning around and drop kicking her. She threw out her hand and spun around, rebounding and backing away. She tossed out the rope, and it wrapped around his foot. She trew him into the wall, and he fell to the ground. She waited for him to get up.

"You done, Mr. Egotistical Jackass?" She asked, giggling at her filthy comment.

Kubiki stood back up, and formed a few signs, and clapped his hands together. A wave of sound chucked the loose rock and stone out of his path, and his feet began to glow with blue chakra. It snaked up his body, and soon his whole body was glowing blue. He rushed at her again, punching wildly and managing to throw her up into the air and hit her body mulitiple times with an array of kicks and punches. He finally stopped, and she fell to the ground, hard.

How she was still able to move was beyond her, but she slowly got back up, and formed more signs, readyign herself to activate the same Genjutsu she had placed on Kiba a few days previous. It hit her target spot on, and he stopped in his tracks. She threw herself into the Genjutsu, to which he had been tied to a pole, and unable to move.

"What... what the hell are you doing? What is this?"

"This, my friend, is a genjustu. And a rather powerful one, I must add. Do you know of the Aburame clan? It can trick even their bugs." She explained, smiling a little.

He forced himself to clam down.

"How long does this last?" He asked. She sat down in front of him and stared at him for a while.

"How ever long I want it to. You know, I could torture you." She said, a little too sweetly.

He paled and gulped.

"But I'm not going to." She whispered.

He sighed.

"Thanks? So, what? We're just going to sit and talk for a while?" He asked. She nodded.

"Yep. Until i get bored. Then, I'll just kill you." She said calmly. He let out a scream.

"No, please! Don't!" He shouted. She began to laugh.

"Then talk. You talk, you may get to keep your life. Savvy?" She smiled. He took a moment to calm down, and took a deep breath.

"So... want to see what's going on around you?" She asked. He nodded.

"Illuminare!" She whispered. A little bit of light shone around them, and he could only see the distance that they were apart.

"How do you do that?" He asked, amazed.

"Chakra." He remained silent.

"... I can't do ninjutsu. Or Genjutsu..." He muttered. She blinked.

"Why?"

"When I was young, my mother died at childbirth. Then, when I was four, my father commited suicide. He jumped off the great Naruto bridge with a ten-ton rock attached to his body." He replied. She felt a little pity for him.

"I know how that is. My father and mother are both dead as well." She explained. They glanced at each other, and she felt a little relieved. She had never told anyone, not even her teamates. And now... she was telling this boy that she didn't even know.

"I was kidnapped, and my kidnapper cut off my main chakra points, or something like that. I don't know. But either way, that's why i can't do ninjutsu. Or genjutsu. All I have is Taijutsu." He muttered sadly. She smiled a little.

"Do you have family? Or-or like, someone to watch after you?" She asked. He smiled and nodded.

"Yep! Konoha's greatest! Kakashi Hatake!" He said with great zeal. The look of happiness on his face warmed her, and she sighed, and let him go. He shook his arms and walked around, rubbing the sore limbs.

"What about you?" He asked. She looked at him for a while.

"No one." She said. She swooped behind him and hit him in the back of the neck, and he fell to the ground, unconscious. She released the genjutsu, and the fighting arena came back into view. Everyone was silent, watching as the two stood there, Eva calm and relazed, and Kubiki in a lost and dazed sense.

Kubiki fell to his knees, and to the ground, unconscious.

Sasuke waited for a few seconds, and then walked in.

"The winner: Eva Nairobi!" He announced. She nodded her head to her unconscious opponent, and left.

"What'd you do? Knock him out?" Baki asked.

"Yup." She admitted. He sighed and shook his head.

_Of course. You wouldn't _really _kill someone, even if your life depended on it._ He mused to himself. Eva watched as the medics came and put him on a stretcher, and without thinking, wiped away a tear that fell onto her cheek. Sheeva and Kiba noticed this, and stared at her, open-mouthed. Eva was lost in thought, and really wished that she had someone to see and watch her succeed...

* * *

*Sigh*... poor Eva. Why am i so mean to my characters? (lols.)

well, i'll give you a hint to the screw up of mine. Read chapter... 16, and you will understand after reading the fight with Eva and Kubiki. (Aren't they cute?)

:)

Arrivederci, tutti!

(Goodbye, all!)


	18. Sorry, but You're Grounded!

Whew... here's another one! (Just in time for my first day of exams, too!)

I have to thank Baby Cougar on this one; the peom was great. (made me smile. haven't done that in a while.)

ANYWAY... how all goes well, and hope that you enjoy this one. (it was a really good one, i think.)

* * *

Chapter 18

Sheeva nudged Eva out of her trance, and she jumped slightly.

"Are you okay? You're… crying." She asked. Eva nodded, and turned away.

"I'll be fine. Just… you're up, Sheeva." She said, acknowledging the name board.

Sheeva looked, and, sure enough, she was up, facing someone known as "Kiro Akimichi". She sighed, not wanting to go up against anyone just yet.

She made her way to the field, and likewise, a chubby kid with red and yellow hair walked up, smiling. She smiled a little too, and held out her hand. They shook, and then she sighed, shaking her head.

Sasuke smirked and walked away.

Kiro noticed her emotions, and settled.

"Come on. Show me what you got! And really, a fan? What the hell are you thinking? Who the Hell uses a f---

In the next second, she had whipped out the gigantic fan and spun it around, and a gigantic whirlpool of wind hit him, tossing him up in the air and throwing him away.

"Get out of my face!" She barked, and folded it up, running for him with it held behind her like a staff. She chucked it out, and hit him in the side of the head. He screamed as he flew to the side. She backed away, and put the fan up, whipping out Karasu. He clicked into place, and stood ready for battle.

"Karasu! Poison mist fog!" She commanded. He drew in air, and then spit out a bomb. It exploded, and concealed Kiro in a thick cloud of purple poison.

He held his breath as he clapped his hands together, expanding into a giant ball. He pushed himself forward and rolled at a great speed towards Sheeva. The two collided, and Sheeva was chucked into the air She hovered for a moment, and knew she was going to fall.

_Now's the time that I can try this! _She gritted her teeth as she forced her wings out, crying out from the pain. They flapped, and caught air, and she floated above the scene. Her back was contracting with pain, and her head was spinning.

She again took Karasu out, and shot a few kunai at her opponent. He jumped out of the way, and blocked a few that he couldn't, and still continued to stare at her in awe.

_She's got wings! Big fucking wings! What the hell is this girl?_He ran out of the way as Karasu sliced the air with a short blade sticking out of his elbow, and tried to reach around the blade and grab the puppet's arm and jerk the puppet away from Sheeva.

He failed in his attempt—Karasu flew back, and returned to Sheeva, who again took out her large fan. She tossed a bunch of kunai and shuriken into the air and waved the gigantic fan, shooting the weapons at Kiro at top speed. He couldn't dodge or block them, and they hit him, sending him to the ground.

He felt his breathing catch in his chest, and his muscles refused to work. He lay there, paralyzed.

Sheeva landed, and withdrew her wings. Everyone in the room was staring at her with fear, and some backed away as she walked by. Even Naruto was creeped out. Sasuke walked out, and, avoiding Sheeva, rushed over to Kiro. He checked his vitals, and called for two medics to attend to the paralyzed boy.

"The winner... is... Sheeva." He said in a harsh whisper. Gaara held his held, slightly disappointed, mostly in her idea to bring out the wings, even after he had suggested for her not to do so.

She walked up to her team, and they said nothing, but Eva inched away from her. Baki was also standing his ground. They watched as Sasuke leaned into Naruto's ear and whispered something into it.

"What do you think he's saying?" Sheeva asked Kiba. He shrugged.

She tuned in her ears, and watched the motions of Sasuke's lips. She thought she heard something like "Orochimaru", but wasn't sure.

She turned sharply on her heel and left the room. Kiba stayed behind, while Eva ran to catch up with her.

"Where are you going?" She asked. She stopped, and turned to face her.

"Away. I need to think." She turned back around, and continued walking on.

"Let her go, Nairobi. I will talk with her." Naruto stated, pushing past her and following after. She felt someone following her, and quickened her step, eventually breaking into a run.

"Wait! Stop! I have to talk to you!" He shouted after her. She stopped.

"Why?" She asked. Naruto slowed as he neared her.

"What happened during the forest exam?" He asked.

She stared at him.

"Why do you want to know?" She asked. Naruto sighed.

"About fifteen years ago, there was an incident with one of our ninja. An S-ranked Ninja attacked him. His name was Orochimaru. We heard about the situation concerning your team and another team. Do you know anything about them?" He asked. She remained silent.

"No, sir. All I know is that the Akatsuki are after me because of my demon. They attacked, and 'awoke' it. I don't know what they want, but I _**will**_ find out." She growled at him, turning and waling away again.

_Shit… the Akatsuki? I thought that they were eliminated! Who the hell is leading Akatsuki now? Itachi's dead, Deidara's dead… who else is dead? They all should be! Damnit all!_ He growled and tightened his fist, angry that their attempts at exterminating all of the Akatsuki had failed.

_Gaara's not going to enjoy this that much either…_He sighed as he walked back into the large arena. Two more ninja were fighting, and they were vigorously throwing attacks at each other, blood flying everywhere.

One finally fell, exhausted, and raised her hand in surrender.

"The winner is Jack Rustoto!" Sasuke called. Naruto sighed, as he stood next to Gaara, reluctant on relaying the news that he had just uncovered.

* * *

After the end of the preliminary rounds, the winners stood in a line facing the Junín leaders and the Kages. Kirin Yamanaka, Jack Rusoto, Kana Hyuuga, Zima Shiranui, Lena Ishii, Kativa Volkovia, Tsurai Jirade, Maito Hatake, Ramsey Lee, Sheeva, Kiba Aburame, and Eva Nairobi stood in a line and awaited their orders.

"All of you did very well! Now, the next portion of the Chuunin exams… You all have 60 days until the next exam. Study and train well, and you will all do very well!" Naruto announced. Everyone bowed to the Kages and Junín, and walked out of the arena. Baki and Gaara arrived outside the doors, and they all walked back through an underground tunnel to the outside of area 44.

After reaching the hotel, Sheeva, Eva, and Kiba all sat down on the couch, exhausted. They let their eyes close, but were only snoozing for a few minutes before Kankuro and Temari rushed in, swarming Sheeva and questioning her about what had happened.

She groaned aloud.

"Young lady! You are not allowed to go out of this apartment without either Gaara, Temari or me from now on, do you understand?" Kankuro yelled. Sheeva stood up, angry.

"What? You can't do that to me! I did nothing wrong! You can't keep me here!" She barked at him. He glared at her.

"I can't let them find you. I won't let them find you!" He muttered. She walked up to him and slapped him, and then ran to her room in tears.

"Kankuro, what the hell? You don't have to _ground_ her!" Temari yelled. Gaara tried to usher the two younger teens out of the room. They waited outside until Temari and Kankuro were done with their row, and walked back inside when they were done.

"I… I'm sorry… he's not changing his mind." Temari whispered, rushing past her brother, trying to fight back her tears. Kiba and Eva snuck past Kankuro and to Sheeva's room. When they got inside, she was crying with her face to the pillow.

"I don't want to stay. I'm not safe here!!" Sheeva cried unaware that they were there. They snuck back out, and listened in from the outside, attempting to keep their chakra masked.

"That son of a bitch… why can't he just leave me alone? Wasn't torturing me and beating the hell out of me enough for him? It's all my fault!!" Kankuro poked his head around the corner, and shouted at them, rushing to throw them out of the apartment. He succeeded, and quickly dead bolted the door.

After waiting for a few minutes, he walked back into Sheeva's room. She threw a pillow at him.

"Dammit, Kankuro, let me go! I have to train! I have to become a Chuunin! Plus, I'm not safe if I'm kept in like this! Let me go!" She screeched. He shook his head.

"As long as I am in this house, you are not leaving. I will not risk your death." He growled. She turned away from him, ignoring him and pouting.

"Sheeva, when I took you in, I made a promise--I was never, ever gonna let anything bad happen to you again. And I'm gonna keep that promise! And don't swear!" He barked, walking away. He sighed. _Why the hell am I acting this way? Why is the Akatsuki back?_

Sheeva ended up crying herself to sleep. She kept dreaming that she was somewhere else, somewhere far beyond the godforsaken place she was in. Kiba and Eva were there, and she could yell, and run, and scream, and do anything she wanted, and no harm would ever come to her.

* * *

My my my... Kankuro is a jerk... Reminds me of every time i got grounded. (i hated that.)

the next chapter will come soon. please, read and review!

Ah, and about the "big Mistake" ignore it, i can fix it. I'll tell those of you that ask, adn you can tell whoever else you know that is reading this. Thanks...


	19. Report 1

**Well. It's about time that I logged back on here, eh?**

**Hopefully all of you have been well. I got sick with the flu for about a week prior to finals, and finals were extremely stressful.**

**now that I can relax, i will be able to post more chapters and hopefully a new story.**

**I will not be posting a new chapter until i have 50 reviews. thank you.**

**ciao ciao.**


	20. Sneak Out?

Exams were easy. I passed. that's all.

I have to admit, I think that this chapter wasn't really well thought out, but you can review and tell me whether i am right or wrong. this was just a filler to get from one point to the next. i need to start avoiding those.

ciao ciao.

enjoy.

* * *

Chapter 19

Kiba had gathered Baki, Eva, Gaara, and Temari for a secret meeting; Sheeva's birthday was coming up, and he wanted to see if they could work on at least trying to convince Kankuro to let her go outside.

"I don't think he's going to change his mind that easily. He's a stubborn jackass when he wants to be." Temari stated. She was leaning against a tree, and examining her nails while they chatted. All of them nodded.

"It all depends on the weather though, too, so… plus, he's going to be going with us, right?" Eva asked. Gaara shook his head. No.

"He'll have to sit out on this one. Perhaps seeing her joy after being out for a while will help him change his mind. Or, if things don't work out, then seeing the dismay and depression on her face will change his mind. Either way, he's not that cruel and senseless to not have any doubt." Temari explained. Kiba sighed.

_Damn… it's been so long since I've seen her; I wonder more and more how she is._

They continued to talk for a while, and then devised a plan, waiting for it to be set in motion.

"Dad." Kiba announced, walking into the living room of the Aburame compound.

"Hi. What are you up to?" He asked. Kiba froze. _How does he know? God, every time! Get off my case, dad!_

"I just wanted to talk." He said, sitting down on the couch. Shino sat up and stretched. He had been taking a quick snooze.

"Can the Kikaichu chew through wood?" He asked. Shino thought on it for a minute.

"I don't think so. Why?" He asked. Kiba sighed. _Back to the drawing board._

"Just a thought that's been bugging me lately." Kiba stood and walked away.

"Okay. Whatever you're doing, don't get caught." He called after Kiba as he reached out his hand for the doorknob. He froze again.

He turned around, chuckling nervously.

"I'm not going to do anything stupid." _Much. This will probably end me up in the hospital if I get caught by Kankuro…_He left immediately, trying to shake off his nerves. Shino chuckled and shook his head.

He's gonna get in a lot of trouble…

_Tap! Rattle rattle tap tap tap!_ Sheeva awoke to the sound of something hitting her window. She rubbed her eyes and looked at her clock. 1230.

_What…_

"Who the hell is waking me up at 1230?" She mumbled. She sighed and stretched, crawling out of her bed and to the window. She looked outside, and a person with sunglasses was staring back at her. She gasped and backed off, turning away, and then turning back. She kept herself from screaming though, and worked on calming herself down.

She looked again; the person was still there, with what looked like a hidden grin.

_Kiba!_ She mouthed, putting her hands on her hips. She tried to open the window, but it wouldn't budge. She looked at it; it had been nailed shut. _Wha-damn you!_

Kiba hung his head, and set his hand on the window. She smiled, and set hers on the other side. The heat from their palms heated the window, and he looked up in surprise. She couldn't see his emotions from behind the high-collar and sunglasses, but thought she could feel his distress through the closed window.

He put his hands to his lips and motioned for her to go to the front door.

She nodded to show she understood, and crept out to the living room. Kankuro was asleep on the couch, snoring loudly.

_Darn it! There's got to be a way to get out! _She crept to the window in the living room and motioned for him to wait. He nodded, and leaned against the railing. She crept to the bathroom, and looked around. High above the toilet was a small window, just big enough to where she could possibly climb through. She grinned. She put the lid down, and stood on it, opened the window and propped it open with a shampoo bottle.

She commenced in climbing out of the window, and sighed as she lay on the roof. The stars outside were very bright, and pretty. There was a nice blue full moon, and she smiled at it as she inhaled the fresh night air.

"Sheeva?" Kiba whispered. She poked her head out from atop the roof and smiled down at him.

"Let's get the hell outta here before your dad wakes up." He reminded her. They ran as fast as they could, Kiba leading the way to Aburame Compound. They were going to hide there until Sheeva's birthday. They had one day to go.

Kankuro rolled off the couch, hitting the floor hard. His face was wet with drool, and his eyes were still shut.

Sitting up, he saw that Sheeva's door was open.

"You in the kitchen?" He shouted out. No answer. _Hm… She must be in the bathroom._

He stood up, and walked to the bathroom door, but it was vacant. He checked the kitchen, and there was no trace of her there.

"Sheeva? Sheeva, where the hell are you? He shouted out, running to her bedroom. She wasn't in there, either, and he began to feel angry. She had left, and he was going to let her off grounding on her birthday anyway! He walked to her window, and saw a hand print, so he knew that she had been here. He sighed and leaned against the wall, beginning to cry.

_God, I'm such an asshole! What the hell? Why?_ He felt a cold draft from the bathroom, and looked. The window above the toilet was open, and he stared, open-mouthed.

"She got out that way? Man…" He stood up, wiped his face, and without bothering to put on his make-up, left to find his daughter.

He had run to the Hokage's office and alarmed Naruto. Naruto then sent for a few of the Junín to search the city. Gaara offered to go with Kankuro. They located Temari at the ramen shop, talking with Baki.

Baki didn't look surprised when Kankuro told him the news that she had run away; he had expected it from her sooner or later.

"I'll go find Kiba and Eva, see if they have seen her." He announced, running towards the Aburame compound. Temari suggested that they searched Konoha forest, and Gaara ran to check the front gates of Konoha.

"Why the hell did you trap her in like that? You know she can take care of herself! If you hadn't done this, she wouldn't have left, and we would be spending a nice day together instead of searching for her!" Temari barked at him. He grimaced.

"Temari, shut up! I was going to apologize for this! She was actually going to be let go tomorrow, on her birthday! I just… I was a jerk…" He muttered. They stopped in the middle of a clearing, and he stared around at them.

Sheeva was hiding among the bushes with Kiba and Eva at her sides. Temari looked directly at the spot that they were hidden, and winked.

"I don't know where else to look." She sighed, hanging her head. Kankuro turned on her.

"No! Don't stop! Don't give up! Sheeva! Where are you? I'm sorry, okay? Please, just come back home! Come. Back. Home…." He fell to his knees, sobbing heavily. Sheeva waited for a moment before moving out, and walked right up to him, kneeling down and giving him a hug. He stopped crying, realized it was her, and hugged her back tightly.

"I'm so sorry! I was so stupid! Will you... will you forgive me, and come back home?" He asked. She smiled and nodded. Kiba and Eva walked back out to stand beside them. Temari smiled, and then rushed to find Naruto and Gaara, letting them know that everything was fine. Naruto had been in on this too, and he hadn't really called the Junín to go and find Sheeva.

After getting back to the apartment, Sheeva immediately ran to the calendar, checking off the last two days that had gone by.

"Oh, wow! It's already my birthday? Wow! I'm fifteen! And didn't even know it!" She shouted, shocked. Temari walked in with a large box, and set it carefully down on the floor.

"What did you guys get?!" She asked them. Gaara watched interestedly as she opened it.

Inside was a large ceramic gourd with a shoulder strap and a few E like markings on it. She picked it up carefully and examined it.

"Gaara? Your gourd, are you serious?! WOW!! NO WAY!!" She screamed, putting it on and trying to stand. It was hard, but she felt she could manage, what with carrying Karasu and her gigantic fan around wherever she went.

"I caught you trying to manipulate sand the way that I do, and thought that you might like to learn how to master it. Then, once you master it, you can choose what you want to fight with. Your fan, Karasu, or the sand." He explained. She smiled and hugged him, the weight of the gourd and his niece nearly knocking him down.

She turned to Kankuro, who snapped a picture of her unawares. She tried to cover her face, but failed, since she nearly fell over and had to catch hold onto someone. The nearest person was Kiba. Kankuro stared at the picture as it came out of the camera—perfect for blackmail.

Kiba and Sheeva were hugging, and Sheeva had her lips pressed against his cheek.

Kankuro frowned, and then looked at the teens. They were facing away from each other, Kiba with his arms crossed, and Sheeva with hers clamped over her mouth.

_Oh, god! I kissed him! I can't believe that I actually—oh, no, I hope Kankuro didn't get that in the picture! _Sheeva bit her fingernails to chill herself down.

_Pull yourself together. It was all an accident. _Kiba growled at himself, and tried to prevent the blush spreading on his face.

_**But still. It felt good.**_ His mouth dropped, and he shook his head.

_GREAT! the blackmailing potential is AWESOME for this!!! YEAH!!!_ Kankuro laughed at them, trying to keep a straight face.

"I'm going to go home before I get into trouble. It's getting late, and my mother will kill me." He muttered, walking away. She smiled and waved as he left, then turned away when he disappeared.

* * *

well. i guess this one was ok.

that's all.

arrivaderci.


	21. Disgrace of the Hyuuga Clan

Wow. this was a short chapter.

don't worry, already working on the next battle. (It's almost done, too.)

I still need to work on my fight scenes; apparently they suck.

see ya.

* * *

Chapter 20

Team 4 had trained extremely hard the past 60 days, and each felt very confident in their progress. Sheeva had nearly mastered the sand, but she still preferred to use her puppet and fan for the third portion of the Chuunin exams.

All of the contestants were standing in a line in the middle of the arena, with thousands of people staring upon them, cheering on some and booing others.

Kiba was even smiling, proud to see that the entire Aburame clan was here to see their success. Even the Hyuuga Clan was there, Hanabi staring coldly at the contestants before her.

"Welcome to the start of the Third Chuunin Exam! For the first match, Kiba Aburame and Kana Hyuuga!" Sasuke called out. He turned to face the two teens that remained while the others walked inside. Before Sheeva left, she whispered "good luck" to Kiba. He grunted in reply.

Kana and Kiba stood facing each other, and greeted each other with a small nod of the head.

"Begin!" Sasuke called, jumping out of the arena.

Kana immediately activated her Byakugan and rushed for him, aiming to attack his chest. He pushed her hand away and threw out a punch of kikai, and hit her in the stomach. She backed away, quirking an eyebrow at him.

"How did you dodge that?" She asked.

"That is none of your concern." He growled. She frowned and ran for him again, trying to attack him. He leaped out of her way, but she scratched at his face, and his glasses flew off, falling to the ground. As she landed, she stepped on them. He kept his eyes shut.

"You… You broke my glasses! You'll pay for that!" He shouted fiercely, clapping his hands together and forming all the signs in a row, and on the last, activating his Byakugan.

Kana stared at him for a second.

"Where the hell did you get the Byakugan?" She asked. He glared at her.

"Ask the woman you call _mother_." He disappeared in a cloud of smoke, and appeared behind her, kicking her in the air and jumping up above her.

He jabbed her in the side.

"You!"

He kicked her up again, further into the air.

"Are!"

He hit her in the neck with a chakra laced hand.

"A!"

He flipped around and kicked her so hard in the stomach that she plummeted towards the ground, creating a large hole where she landed.

"Disgrace!" He shouted.

He landed, and then walked up to her, picking her up by the collar.

"You hurt other people, even those in your own family to prove your strength!" He punched her in the face.

"You pick on those that are weaker than you!"

He threw her down.

"And all for the sake… of the Hyuuga name! You're pathetic!" He spat, turning away from her. He crossed his arms, and sighed.

"Mark my words, _Hyuuga!_" He growled. He turned on her, and pointed directly at her.

"No matter what, I will set the lower branch free." He demanded. She coughed, continuing to let her hatred seep.

_I won't let you put me down, you bastard!_ She stood up and aimed an attack at him from behind, using the same hand that she had used to tie Zuzu down on Kiba. Kiba tried to move, but was too late. Kana punched Kiba in the back with a sword of chakra, and Sheeva let out a bloodcurdling scream.

"KIBAAA!!! NOOO!! Oh, god! KIBA!!" She screeched, trying to fight out of Eva's and Baki's grasp.

"I've got you, you bastard." Kana hissed in victory. Kiba turned his head to her.

"That's where you're dead wrong." He smirked. She looked. Where the sword had cut through was now a hole with tons of bugs swarming in it. In the next second, Kiba melted into a pile of bugs, and encased Kana in a typhoon of bugs, eating away at her chakra. The crowd gasped, and squirmed around in their seats at the sight of millions of bugs crawling all over a body.

Kiba reappeared out of a large hole that had been in the arena when they arrived. **(A/N Remember the fight between Neji and Naruto? There ya go. ********) **Sasuke stepped out, and checked Kana's vitals. She was unconscious. He supposed it was from lack of air.

"Kiba Aburame is the winner." He muttered. Everyone was silent as he walked off the arena, hands in his pockets. Sheeva had turned into Eva's hold, crying into her shoulder. Eva smirked a little as she saw Kiba walking in. He sighed as he saw the two girls.

He set a hand on her shoulder and turned Sheeva around, pulling her into a hug.

"You can stop crying now." He whispered, low so that she could hear. She glanced up at him, and smiled, wiping her eyes.

"You're… ok! I'm so glad you're ok!" She whimpered, settling down.

He patted her back, and kept his eyes closed. Baki handed him his extra shades, and Kiba took them gladly, putting them on.

* * *

Meanwhile, in the emergency room, Hanabi was standing next to her daughter, with a furious expression plastered on her slightly aged face.

"You lost, Kana. I'm rather dissapponted in you. Have I taught you NOTHING?!" She screeched. Kana flinched.

"Mother, I'm sorry! I-I-

She stopped and sighed, sitting up to wipe away a tear. Kana took a deep breath.

-I don't want to-to hurt people. I'm tired of-of being mean to everyone! I'm sick of being hated, just to keep the head branch's and the Hyuuga clan's reputations! And most of all, I- Mother, I hate you!" She yelled, standing up and jumping off the table, slapping her mother and running off, trying to keep her tears back.

"Kana! KANA!" Hanabi called out after her. Kana ran and ran, not stopping to look back untili she was out of the reach of Konoha's massive gates.

* * *

The crowd cheered as someone's name was called, and Eva's ear perked at her name.

"Looks like I'm on. I can't wait." She smirked. She had been waiting for this fight since she had seen the Jutsu user from Konoha in the preliminary rounds. She smiled and took a breath as she walked out into the sunlight to meet her opponent. The bright light made her shut her eyes, and she walked onwards, proud and confident.

* * *

I'm working on getting a DeviantArt account so that i can post the random pictures that i have drawn. i just don't know how to do that. if anyone can help, please, let me know!


	22. Report 2

**Hello, all you awesome people out there!**

**MY 20th CHAPTER IS UP!!! YAY!!!**

**just had to get that out of the way...**

**now... review count: 45.**

**thank you. and now, i'm going to be mean and bump it up again. this time to 51. (The last time it was 50, remember?)**

**Good bye.**

**Sheeva**


	23. Spite and Malice

Ciao, tutti!

This will be my last chapter for a while, since I am going to be moving, and am in the process of packing.

i will update soon, so don't worry.

have a nice day.

* * *

Chapter 21

"This will be so easy." Eva muttered, as she continued walking. She opened her eyes as she stopped in front of her opponent. Kirin Yamanaka smiled as she held out her hand to shake. Eva nodded and shook her hand. Sasuke backed away, and announced for them to start the fight.

Eva jumped back to gain a little distance, forming signs in the air. She pounded her fist into the ground, and tried to encase Kirin in a pillar of stone. Kirin ran out of the way, and spit fire at Eva. Eva hissed and waved her palm, and the dirt from the ground rose up and suffocated the flame. They stopped, and stared at each other with satisfaction.

_I'm surprised. She's on par with me! _Kirin thought, trying to form a new plan.

_Just as I expected. Perhaps I'll have to be faster than this._ Eva kneeled down, staring at the arena. There were a few trees about, and the two large holes in the ground. The walls were cracked as well.

"Go, Kirin! You can do it! Kick her ass with the psyche bomb! Go go go!" Someone in the stands called. Kirin smiled. _That's right--That multiple-elemental move. Have fun with this one!_

Kirin readied herself for the attack. She took a small bomb out of her pocket and chucked it in the air, throwing a kunai at it to make it explode. The entire arena was encased in a dark gas, and it went pitch black. Eva looked around, scared.

She tried to create a ball of light in her palm by lighting a small ball of her chakra, but it flickered and went out. _What the hell?_

There was a flash of green light, and Eva felt a gust of wind. She covered her face and crouched low. Thank God she had, because a few seconds later, she was being whipped and cut by leaves and vines. They closed her in a sphere, and the wind power increased in strength.

She felt extremely cold in the next minute, and rubbed her arms with her hands while trying to kick her way out of the ball. There was a cracking noise, and she felt water sprinkling her and then freezing on her skin.

She tried to use a fire Jutsu to counter the effects of the water, but nothing was happening.

"No, damn it, no!" She shouted, trying to cast the Jutsu again.

Kirin took a deep breath, and held her hands to her mouth with the sign of the tiger.

"Fireball Jutsu!" She shouted, spitting fire at the ball. The water steamed and evaporated, and the earth caught fire, singing her hair and lightly burning her skin. The ball broke, and Eva jumped out, rolling on the ground to suffocate the flames.

The darkness drifted away, and She crawled on her hands and knees.

"What the hell was that attack?" She asked. Kirin smiled and moved her hair out of her face.

"My own little technique. Pretty cool, isn't it?" She asked.

"Eva! Come on! Get up! You can't lose now!" Sheeva shouted out. Eva looked at the direction of the voice.

_She's right. I can't stop now! Let's go!_ She thought to herself, straining her body to stand. Kirin stared at her.

"I just beat the hell out of you, and you're standing? What is with you sand people? You don't give up!" She sneered.

"I'm not like them. I'm different!" She shouted, creating a spear of chakra in one hand and a ball of chakra in the other. She sent a trail of chakra into the ground with her foot, threading it around Kirin's foot, pinning her to the ground. She then ran for her, thrusting the ball into her stomach and then making the ball explode by splicing it with the spear. Kirin was shot back into the wall.

The dust cleared away and everyone looked to see who was still standing. One body was stuck inside the wall, and the other was to her knees.

Two medics rushed out and helped to release Kirin from the wall, and Eva worked on healing herself with the rest of her chakra.

"The winner: Eva Nairobi, from the Sand Village!" Sasuke shouted out, trying to help her stand. She pushed his hand away, and stood herself, limping into the waiting area. Sheeva ran up to her and set to healing the rest of her wounds, praising her on her good work.

Eva then hugged Sheeva and Kiba together.

"I'm glad that I have you guys here to be with. I've never needed friends like I do now. Thank you both… so much…" She whispered. She then let a medic take her to the hospital, where she lay down in the bed and quickly slept to regain her strength, hoping to be able to watch Sheeva's fight.

* * *

"These Sand Ninja… they're good this year. I'm rather surprised, Majia." A girl with short blonde hair stated, handing the other person the telescope. The other person shrugged and took it, watching as Eva hit Kirin with the sphere. He nodded, and began to sign with his hands.

_Do you think that we should keep an eye on the Jutsu user, the bug kid, or the demon?_

"I say all three. And, a way to make this easy will be to target the leader. So, we'll go after Baki. Unless told otherwise. We should report." She said. He nodded, and tapped her shoulder.

_What will we do when we do get the three twerps?_

"Imprison them. They'll be useful as a collateral." She smiled, taking his hand and walking away.

* * *

**Just to let you know, Majia is mute, not deaf.**

**well, hope you enjoyed. the next chapter will be longer.**

**ciao ciao.**


	24. Rebellion at the Wrong Time

**I liked the chapter, personally... It makes me relieved, and it takes my mind off of... my love. (God, i miss him!!!)**

**I'm going to go now.**

**ciao.**

**review, please! I want to know what you liked! (at least a paragraph.) Jk. you don't have to. but it would be nice.**

**

* * *

**

Chapter 22

Jack Rusoto and Zima Shiranui fought next, and their battle seemed to last forever—both were able to parry the other's attacks, and dodge at precisely the right times, that not one had gotten hit until thirty minutes in. After two hours, they were still fighting, both exhausted.

"*huff huff* I… Give!" Jack groaned, falling back, breathing heavily. Zima fainted too, exhausted.

"Tie!" Sasuke announced, moving out of the way as the medics ran in, throwing the two on stretchers, and left.

Sheeva groaned and sat back down.

"I'm last, aren't I?" She sighed. Baki smirked.

"Probably." He replied. She sighed and sat back, attempting to catch a snooze.

Eva heard a knock on the door and sat up.

"Miss, you have a visitor." The pink-haired nurse announced, moving out of the way. The same person that she had fought before, Kubiki Madoko, walked in, holding a few flowers.

"Are you okay? Kirin can be a bit rough; she's in my team. You took one hell of a beating… and you gave it right back!" He smiled. She sat up.

"Yeah. Has… Has Sheeva fought yet?" She asked.

"Sheeva? I don't think so. I left right after the last fight. She could be next, or maybe the last."

Eva sat up, and put her feet over the edge of the bed, stepping onto the cold floor.

"Are you going to go and watch it?" He asked. She nodded.

"I am. She's my teammate…" She wanted to say 'friend' but the word wouldn't come out.

"Then let's go now. You might miss it. You are very dedicated to your friends, aren't you?" He said, smiling.

_This guy has got to be a fucking mind reader!_

He helped her down the hall, since she was still limping. They checked out, and began to walk to the arena. They heard cheering as someone's name was called. She tried to run.

"It wasn't her, she'll be either after these two, or the last. We have time." He said, running up to her and slowing her down. She nodded and began to walk slowly beside him.

They stopped shortly to get a drink of water, and then carried on. They were still far away as the last two people's names were called.

"That's her! Hurry!" She went to run, but twisted her foot.

"Damn it!" She cursed. He picked her up and put her on his back, starting to run at a roadrunner's pace.

"What the- Kubiki?!" She was shocked. _Even with my weight, he is still able to run this fast?_

"Huh. You're not heavy at all." He announced, jumping up on a building. She screamed and wrapped her arms around his neck, holding on for dear life. He smiled, and put more energy in his feet, doubling the pace.

They reached the stadium, and to the waiting area for the contestants.

Sheeva and Kiba gave Eva looks as they arrived—her hair was out of place, her eyes were wide, and she was clutching Kubiki's shirt with a death grip. She was terrified.

Kubiki set her down and sighed, stretched and then plopped down in a chair.

"You made it in time. Sheeva's up next." Baki announced. Eva broke out of her state.

"Yeah, I know. Who's she up against?" She asked.

"Ramsey Lee." He answered.

Kubiki caught the name, and rushed to the opening to get a better view.

"No surprise he made it through, but will she last against the guy?" He's nearly three times her size!" He shouted. Kiba grabbed Kubiki by the hair and threw him back.

"Don't underestimate Sheeva. She's much stronger than you think." He growled. He turned to the fight.

Sheeva dodged another attack. _God, this guy never gives up!_ She jumped into the air and spun forward, kicking him in the head. A dull, metallic sound echoed, and she winced from the pain. Ramsey reached up effortlessly and grabbed her arm, yanking her off and throwing her across the way.

"Ow…" She mumbled, standing up. Stumbling around, she tried to calm herself and fell into the large hole. There was a tunnel that she could climb through! The earth above her shook, and the ground behind her broke, trapping her in, and she rushed to crawl to the other side.

The ground in front of her collapsed too, and she tried to go back the other way. She stopped as it fell, and then the other side fell. Trapped in a tiny space, she curled into a ball. _I'm dead, I'm dead, I'm dead!! _

_**Idiot! Pull yourself together! **_Naomi shouted, pushing Sheeva's soul out of the way and taking control.

"Explosion!" She shouted, exploding the chemicals in the air around her and jumping up out of the hole. She landed on solid ground while Ramsey fell into the trench.

"Good job, Sheeva!" Eva yelled out, waving her hand. Naomi looked up at her, and smiled, giving her a thumbs-up.

Ramsey leapt out of the trench, and landed, shaking the ground. Naomi tried to keep her balance, but failed. Ramsey went to trust his hand down, but she rolled out of the way.

Naomi let the wings out again, this time adding the tail, and took off into the air. She dove at him, slicing as much as she could with the sharp tail, and then arched up to fly into the air.

The people in the crowds gasped at the sight of the "demon" in the sky. Ramsey too, was astonished. He took out a few kunai and chucked them at her, but she dodged them, hitting one away with her tail. She took a few of her own and threw them back. They embedded themselves in his back, and the exploding tags lit. He fell forward, a few wounds in his back.

_Holy shit. This guy is made of steel! That barely hurt him?_

_**Naomi, stop this! Stop! This is my fight! I don't want you to take over! God damn it! Let me back in control!**_ Sheeva barked, trying to push Naomi out of the way. Naomi fought back. Neither of them was focusing on flying, and they began to fall. Naomi quickly took over, and landed on the ground till they could finish.

_Sheeva, you're making yourself look bad! Let me finish this!_

_**No! You listen to me! I am your host! You do as I say! Move aside!**_

_Sheeva, I've had it! I'm sick of being forgotten! I'm sick of being pushed aside! I declare my liberation NOW!_

Liberation? What the—

_--Yeah! And my Freedom! Let me go! Give me time to walk around like you do! I want to walk, move, talk! I WANT CONTROL!!_

_**All right!! Fine! If that was all you fucking wanted, why didn't you say so? And why NOW?**_

Ramsey had gotten up and rushed for them, kicking them. They shot back, and hit the wall lightly.

_**Crap! Careful! Pay attention! You can have this fight, if you want! Just don't kill the guy!**_

Naomi smiled, and began to form signs, creating two copies of her self.

They drew two swords, and crossed them, creating a larger one by breathing fire to weld them together. Naomi jumped and took them, then jumped to her opponent, twirling around and slicing at the giant. It wasn't very effective.

Ramsey reached around, grabbed Naomi by the wing and threw her across the stadium, and she hit the wall extremely hard. She heard—and felt—a sickening crack as her wings folded between the wall and her body. She fell to the ground, dizzy.

You IDIOT!!! You're going to get us killed! Let me take over!

_No! I'm not! I won't let you!_

_**Imbecile! You just broke my wing! You're letting that giant tear me apart! I'll be dead by the time this fight is over, not victorious! Move aside, NOW!**_Sheeva commanded, shoving Naomi out of the way as hard as she could. She tried to stand, but fell back, face-planted in a small pile of sand. She picked it up, staring at it.

_I just found my ticket to victory…_She sat up and scooted back, leaning against the wall as she sent out lines of chakra, sifting throughout the small grains of sand. There wasn't a lot, but it would be enough to possibly choke the freak she was up against. Creating a very thin rope, she snaked it behind Ramsey, who was walking towards her slowly, trying to figure out why she wasn't standing back up again. She raised it up, created a slipknot, and threw it around his neck, giving a sharp jerk back and tightening it.

Ramsey fell backwards, and she continued to tighten the rope of sand around his neck. The rope of sand and chakra was so thin that no regular person could see it. Kiba watched the giant struggling around on the ground, and saw that Sheeva wasn't really doing anything to cause it.

He activated his Byakugan, and saw the truth. She was choking the guy.

He ran to find the referee. Sasuke had been sitting down, watching the fight with shock, a cigarette hanging from the corner of his mouth.

"Stop her! She's gonna kill him!" Kiba shouted. Sasuke shook his head, and looked closer.

"What are you talking about? He's just acting that way." He said, unconcerned.

_Sheeva, you're going to kill him! Stop! _He hoped that the kikaichu implanted in her back would pick up on the message in time.

Apparently it had, because the giant quit squirming around, and lay still, breathing raggedly. Kiba pushed Sasuke off the bench and out to the grounds, and he slowly walked towards the giant, checking his vitals. He'd be fine.

"The winner is Sheeva!" He announced. Sheeva stood slowly, and stumbled to the waiting area. She fell, and Eva caught her before she hit the ground.

"I'm exhausted… Naomi decided to rebel against me…" She muttered, eyes closing. Eva let her lay, and she fell asleep instantly, covered in dirt and sweat.

Kiba ran in, looking around for her.

"She's over here, Kiba. She's asleep. You can yell at her later." Eva said.

Kiba scowled at Eva.

"I was going to congratulate her." He retorted. She shrugged and tried to pick her up, but found she didn't have the strength. Kiba knelt down and scooped her up, asking for guidance to the hospital.

"Let me help you." Kubiki offered, leading the way. Sheeva slept, and curled up as they hurriedly walked to the hospital, not stopping for a second.

* * *

**Naomi: What the HELL are you doing to us? **

Sheeva: Yeah, what the hell? You completely destroyed my body! You broke my WING, you cruel bitch!

_Author: ku ku ku... you'll see... *smile*_

Sheeva: what? Are you daydreaming again?

_Author: *Blink* huh? uh, no... i wasn't... (sort of...) *Sigh* i'll get to writing again, i guess..._

**Naomi: That's right! And you'll fix this problem!! And THEN you can sulk about moving away from your boyfriend.**

_Author: Whaaa!!! *Wails in corner* this isn't fair!!!!!! *Sob*_


	25. Date?

YAY! The damned thing finally let me log in!! now i can post more! (i wrote a lot in the last few days.)

Please, read and review!

Ciao ciao!

* * *

Chapter 23

Gaara smiled as he saw that all three of the sand-nin in this round passed, and quickly left to find the hospital. Kankuro, Temari, and Baki caught up with him. They rushed to the hospital, demanding to see Sheeva. The nurse at the counter denied for Kankuro and Temari to pass, but Gaara was allowed free.

"I'm her father! Her adopted father, yes, but nonetheless! Let me go!" He pleaded. The nurse stared at him and sighed, nodding. He smiled and bowed to her, and then rushed up the stairs, searching for room 509. _Where is it? Where is it? HAH! Here!_

A nurse passed by and stopped running, walking briskly down the hall, waving to her shortly. He slowed as he reached the door, and peered in through the window. Kiba was sitting in a chair next to the bed, and from the looks of it, seemed to be holding her hand. She, however, was passed out.

He looked around the hall, and spotted an empty glass. He took it, and held the open end against the wall and the closed end on his ear.

"…you'll be okay. When you wake up… well… I just… want to be able to help you. I don't want you to push us away. You'll need us more than you do now someday…" He whispered, running his hand through her hair. Kankuro had had enough of the sappy confessions, (love really annoyed him, especially when it was _teenage_ love.) and knocked on the door, walking in. Kiba sat up and quickly stopped what he had been doing, and turned to look at Kankuro.

"She's okay…" Kiba muttered. Kankuro nodded.

"May I have some time with her? Go get some water or something—you look like you've been through hell." He said, trying not to growl. Kiba hesitated, and then stood, walking out of the room.

"I am so proud of you." He said before sitting down.

Gaara walked in, with a confused look on his face.

"I passed Kiba a second ago. He looks like hell." He stated, sitting on the other side. Kankuro suppressed a laugh. Kankuro took a small doll from his pocket and tucked it underneath the sheet next to her, and she curled up next to it, muttering something in her sleep. They both smiled.

"You still have frou-frou. I thought he got burned in that fire." Gaara recalled on the events of one of the missions that Sheeva and her team had been on; Baki was on a different mission, and so Kankuro led the team. They were bringing back supplies from Konoha when they were attacked by rouges, and a chest full of fireworks was struck by a flaming arrow, and exploded. Everyone got out okay, but the supplies suffered massive damage.

"Yes. Sheeva went back after the damage and ruffled through everything, and found her Frou-frou. I stitched the thing back up for her." He smiled, and then sighed. He patted her head lightly, and stood to leave. Gaara remained behind, trying to get Naomi up to talk with her. He tapped Sheeva's forehead lightly twice, and whispered to her demon.

"Naomi, get up. I have to talk with you."

A spirit version of Sheeva rose up, staring at him with sleepy eyes.

"What?"

"What the hell happened out there? Why did you choose then to rebel?" He demanded. She shrugged.

"She was gonna get herself killed. I had to do something." She whispered robotically.

"Could you have done that without exerting so much force?" He asked. She nodded.

"I could have."

"And yet you chose not to."

"Yeah. And? I got her through the Chuunin exams. You should be happy about that." She retorted.

"Hey, quit being a smart-ass with me. I know how to control you. And let's not forget what happened the last time. Now, I'm working on trying to help you, but you have to give it some time." He said calmly.

"Yeah? Well remember, I'm running _out _of time. I only have 17 years left." She stated. Gaara sighed.

"I understand. Go to sleep. I'll get it figured out somehow and somehow soon." He promised. He stood and left, and Naomi stretched and sank back into Sheeva's body, crawling into her small "cave" and fell back asleep.

Kiba watched from around the corner a few minutes as Gaara walked down the hall, and snuck back into the room, sitting back down on the chair. He placed his hand on hers above the bed sheet, and laid his head down, closing his eyes and letting himself snooze.

Eva was enjoying the break she was having, regardless of how tired she was. Kubiki was running around, jumping up in the air and doing tricks, and she would smile at them and clap or laugh when he did something funny, like trip over a small rock and fall face-first into a pile of mud.

Kubiki calmed down, and sat next to her.

"So? What kinds of tricks can you do?" He asked. She remained silent for a while.

"I haven't really had the time for tricks. I train, sleep, eat, train… do missions… that's pretty much my basic day." She admitted. He sighed, and set a hand on her shoulder.

"You need to allow yourself some time to relax. Come with me." He said, standing and offering for her to climb onto his back.

"Where are we going?" She asked. He looked over his shoulder and smiled at her.

"You will see." He said. She thought for a minute, and then made up her mind. She trusted him, at least, for the meantime. And besides, this strange boy had made her feel happier than any time in her life.

She climbed up on his back, and he took off, jumping up and running on the rooftops. He ran to a large square, and landed, kneeling so that she could get off. He stood and shook himself off, stretching. There was a large fountain in the middle, and she seemed drawn towards it. She walked up to it, studying the ancient statue of a fish. It was spouting water from its mouth, and atop the curve of the water where it fell, there was a large sphere, light blue in color and with a glassy type of texture. Kubiki stood next to her and smiled. She smiled too.

"Touch the water." He told her. Without hesitation, she did. The water turned a bright green, and a thin line of water flowed around and into a circle above her head, and broke away. It hovered above her head for a moment, and she looked up at it, smiling. There was a ringing of a bell and the water fell, drenching her. Kubiki laughed.

"Wha-why-I… you sneaky little… oh!" She was at a loss for words, so she did a rather childish thing. She pushed him into the water. He surfaced, smiling and laughing. He crawled out, and sat on the steps, letting the sun's rays warm and dry him. She sat next to him.

"When do you and your teammates leave?" Kubiki asked. She thought for a bit.

"When Sheeva is well enough to leave the Hospital. Until then, we stay here as far as I know." Eva replied. Kubiki nodded. A taller version of Kubiki walked up to them, smiling the same goofy smile.

"Lee-sensei! What a surprise to see you here!" Kubiki stood, bowing to his sensei. Eva stifled back a laugh. They had the same fishbowl haircut, the same eyes, and the same goofy outfits.

"Ah! The welcoming of new youth! What's your name?" Lee said, grinning.

"Eva Nairobi, sir."

Lee blinked.

"Why are you both wet?" He asked. Kubiki scratched the back of his head.

"I played a trick on her and she threw me in the fountain." He admitted. Lee smiled. _of course, Kubiki... heh! Th genjutsu user and the taijutsu master. isn't this ironic?_

"Ok. Oh, by the way, Baki is looking for you, Eva. He's at the hospital. Better hurry. He seemed rather frustrated." He left without another word. Eva sighed, and looked around for the hospital.

"That probably means that we'll be going." She muttered, feeling sad as she began to walk.

"I will walk with you. It's getting dark, and there are strangers out there." He offered, walked beside her. They said nothing as they made their way to the grand hospital, and he stood at the gates as she walked in. She stopped and turned around, smiling at him.

"Thanks!" She called out. He smiled and waved at her.

She turned back around and walked into the check-in. Baki and Kiba were standing to the side, looking for her.

"Where were you, Nairobi? I thought I asked you all to stay in the area." He growled, crossing his arms.

"I fell asleep." She lied. He grunted and shook the matter out of his head.

"We're going to stay one more night here and then leave in the morning. Sheeva has made a miraculous recovery. But there's also this: I will not be returning to Suna with you. I am going on a mission for the Hokage. Kankuro will be your team leader until I return. Good luck. You will not see me tomorrow morning, either." He stated. They stared at him for a minute.

"Ok. Where are you going?"

"That I cannot tell you. It is classified as confidential, and the information I receive goes directly to the Kages." Baki announced.

"So Gaara's in on this mission as well?" Kiba asked. He hadn't missed the slip that Baki let out. Baki blinked.

"Yes. Sheeva doesn't know. And she is not allowed to know. It will be much better if she is kept in the dark." He said quickly, trying to avoid suspicion.

Kiba crossed his arms and tapped his foot, quirking his eyebrow. Eva stared Baki down with an intimidating look that even scared _him_. He backed away.

"Sorry, but you're going to have to kick my ass if you're getting another word out of me. And even then, I'm not saying a damn thing. So go away, and rest. You leave at dawn." He walked out of the hospital.

"What do you think he's going to go and do?" Eva asked. She walked outside, Kiba following her. They sat on the steps, and stared at the setting sun.

"I don't know. But he's right. We should stay out of this. God only knows what could happen if we intervened." Kiba stated. Eva sighed and looked out at the gate. Kubiki was still standing there, watching the sunset as well. She stood and walked up to him, muttering a hello.

"Hi. Was that your sensei that just walked out?" He asked. She nodded.

"We leave tomorrow morning. Sheeva has recovered well, and is able to move." She announced. She felt bad saying this. He wrapped his arm around her shoulder and shook her.

"Good luck, Eva." He said. She smiled and let him "hug" her, and she felt warmer than anything else in the world.

Meanwhile, Kiba was watching them with a slight hint of envy. He sighed, and put his hands in his pockets, standing and walking back inside. He snuck his way to Sheeva's room, grabbed the chair and set his head down next to her hand and let his eyes close, falling asleep quickly.

* * *

Gaara woke first, used to being a light sleeper, and stretched, yawning greatly. He woke the others, and walked to Sheeva's room himself. He had already figured that Kiba was with her; he was nowhere to be found earlier, and the nurses forbade anyone walking up and down the stairs should they awaken the patients.

He stopped in the hallway to pick up two cups of coffee, and some sugar and creamer.

When he opened the door, he let himself smile a little. Sure enough, Kiba was asleep with his head on the bed. Sheeva had woken up, and was staring out the window. She had wrapped a blanket around him, and helped to set his head on her pillow.

"Figures. He didn't want to leave your side." Gaara told her. She smiled.

"Yeah. He's like that. When do we leave?" She asked.

"Soon. Kankuro and Temari packed up your guys' stuff last night, so you owe them a thank you, at least. Shino and Hinata will be meeting us at the gate." He said. He gave her the coffee he had brought, and she sipped at it. She made a face.

"Akk! It's really strong!" Gaara chuckled.

"Add some water. You can pour some in my cup, that way you'll have enough room." He offered. She did, and then went to the sink, turning on the cold water and passing the cup underneath it twice. She took a sip, and nodded, turning off the water. Kiba had woken up by this point, and was looking around as if trying to find where he was.

Sheeva passed by him and ruffled his hair, just to joke around. He stared at her beneath his glasses. He then shook his head to put his hair back into place. He sat up, and felt the tug of the blanket.

"Thanks." He muttered, pulling the blanket around him a little tighter. She nodded and sat down, watching the sun rise from the window. Kiba had hoped that he woke up with her alone so that he could tell her a few things, but decided against it because of Gaara's presence.

He grabbed a chair and sat next to them. Sheeva offered him a sip of her coffee, but he refused.

"I can't. It'll mess with my kikaichu." He explained. She pouted her lip.

"Please? You've got to! It's really good!" She begged. He sighed, frustrated, and reluctantly took the cup, taking a small sip. The warmth of the liquid felt far better than anything at the moment, so he let himself take another sip.

He took it away and handed it back so that he wouldn't be tempted to drink any more.

_Dad's gonna kill me._ He simply thought. They finished their coffee (even Kiba took a few more sips) and left the room, snagging a blanket and shoving it into their backpack before leaving.

They regrouped in the check-in room, and left for the gates. Kiba could feel his hands twitching and shaking, and he fought to keep control. _Fuck. Dad's really gonna kill me now._ He thought. He caught sight of his father, and turned his head away, avoiding his gaze.

"Kiba. Come here." Shino demanded. Kiba's stomach dropped.

"Yes… father?" He questioned, trying to remain calm. His eye twitched, and he was sure that his father saw it.

"Why are you shaking?" He asked. Kiba sighed, and then grimaced. If he could smell the coffee on his breath, then his father sure could.

"You drank coffee, didn't you?" He asked. Slowly, Kiba nodded.

Shino couldn't help but laugh. And he laughed aloud, for a good fifteen minutes before stopping. Kiba was appalled. He had been expecting a slap upside the head, but _laughter_?

"Have fun." He said before leaving Kiba to his confused senses. The next second he was holding the back of his head—his father had slapped him upside the head.

"That's for trying to hide the fact that you drank coffee from me." Shino announced before walking out of the gate. Kiba sighed and followed him, finding that he was having a hard time trying to control himself.

Eva was looking around the entrance to Konoha, surprised to find herself hoping to see Kubiki one last time. She sighed and turned around, taking her time in walking with the others. _What is this feeling? Why am I so… why am I hesitating?_

"Eva! Wait!" She heard Kubiki yelling. She stopped, heart flipping in her chest. She turned around, and was captured in a tight hug and spun around.

"Kubiki?!" She laughed. The others had stopped to watch the commotion.

"I… I wanted to say goobye." He said, smiling. She hugged him, and surprised, he hugged her back.

"Thank you." She said. She turned to leave, and then stopped, turning back. He had tears in his eyes, and he was staring at the ground. She put a hand on his cheek and lifted her head to meet his, kissing him lightly. She giggled and rushed away. Shocked, he stared at her as she walked away.

He whooped and jumped into the air, spinning around, then ran to tell Lee-sensei.

Eva walked up to them, and they stared at her. She blushed.

"What was that?! Where did you—when did—where the hell was I?" Sheeva stammered. Eva tried to glare at her, but couldn't—she was too ecstatic.

"You didn't see anything." She said.

"I thought it was cute." Kiba stated. He then clapped his hands to his mouth. Everybody stopped, and Hinata stared at her son.

"Shino… did he just… say what I thought I heard?" She asked, disbelieving. Shino took her hand and nodded.

"H-hey, I didn't mean to! Dammit!" He clapped his hands to his mouth again. He felt his head itchy, and began to scratch at it wildly. He screamed from frustration of being unable to hit the right spot.

"Sheeva, observe. This is why you don't give the Aburame clan coffee. Or any caffeine of any sort. He tried to tell you." Gaara stated, sneering. Sheeva tried to keep from laughing.

"I'm sorry!" She yelled. Kankuro nudged her with his elbow.

"Just wait until he crashes. You'll have to carry him." He told her. Sheeva stared at him.

"Wha-oh, come on! How was I supposed to know? You could've let me know beforehand for crying out loud!" She protested.

Just then, Kiba took off at an extremely fast pace, heading along the path to the edge of the wood, punching every tree in sight. Sheeva began to chase after him

"Kiba! What the hell are you doing?!" She called. He didn't answer—but began to laugh his butt off, whooping and yelling like a maniac, continuing to run at the ridiculous pace. She stopped, short of breath. There was an explosion, and she jumped. Shino ran past, and Hinata stopped by her.

"You've got nothing to worry about. We'll run into him. Eventually." She said, patting her on the head.

_Jesus, what have I done?_ She sighed and walked the rest of the way, heading to the big explosion.

They eventually ran into Kiba, who had been tied to a tree for restraint. He was sound asleep, head hanging and drool dripping from the side of his mouth. All of them laughed.

"Man! Where's a camera when you need one!" Temari exclaimed. Sheeva cut the ropes, and caught him as he fell, hoisting her on her back. Now she had Karasu, her fan, the gourd of sand, AND Kiba to carry, and she felt terribly weak anyway.

She said nothing as she began to walk across the forest, heading in the direction of home.

* * *

Oh, man... i hope you all had as much fun reading this as i had writing it. i think this is my favoritve chapter of them all (thus far.)

what do you think?

review, and tell me what you think! PLEASE!!

arigatou!

ciao.


	26. Report 3

**Hello, all you awesome people out there!**

**MY 25th CHAPTER IS UP!!! YAY!!!**

**just had to get that out of the way...**

**now... review count: 51.**

**thank you. and now, i'm going to be mean and bump it up again. this time to 55. (The last time it was 51, so that shouldn't be too bad.)**

**plus where i'm moving to, there should be someone (more like a lot of people) that will read this.**

**Good bye!**

**(i'll be writing a lot on my 11 hour layover while i travel, so... yeah.)**

**Sheeva**


	27. Never Again

**This may be my last chapter for a while, since i move in two days. (omg... that scares me.)**

**be prepared for some serious heartache if you've fallen in love with my characters as i have.**

**ciao. Review, please**

** would aslo like to thank Baby Cougar and Moonwitch1 for their many reviews, and yes, you may use my ideas, but please do not claim them as yours.**

**Sheeva**

* * *

Chapter 24

Sheeva crawled into her bed, exhausted. She had to first drop Kiba off at the Aburame house, then trekk all the way home (which was on the other side of the village). She was asleep in minutes.

Kiba woke slowly, with a slight headache and sore knuckles. He sat up, trying to point out where he was, _again_. He stood himself, stumbling to his bathroom and tiredly staring into the mirror. He had bags under his eyes, and his vision was blurry. He also realized that he had to pee.

After urinating into the toilet for what seemed like hours, he washed his hands and then ran his face under the cold water faucet. It was a relief to his dry eyes.

He walked out into the hallway, and looked at his parent's bedroom. It was empty, and he sighed.

"Must be after 8…" He walked into the living room, and found his father, who was meditating. He opened an eye and stopped, standing to greet Kiba.

"You slept like a rock." Shino stated.

"What happened?" He asked.

Shino grinned.

"You went berserk, and punched the hell out of any tree that crossed your path. Then of course, you passed out. Sheeva carried you home." Shino explained.

"She what? All the way from Konoha to Suna, she carried me? How could you let her do that? She was—she's injured, dad!" Kiba flew into a rage. Hinata poked her head around the door from the kitchen eyebrows raised, stirring a batch of dough for a dessert of some sort. She smiled and watched, amused as Kiba threw his hands into the air and spun around, ranting.

He was interrupted by a knock on the door. Shino opened it, and Sheeva walked in. Kiba let his hands drop and scratched the back of his head, switching to his stoic personality.

"Just came by to see how you're doing. Nice to see you're awake." She smiled. He crossed his arms.

"They told me you carried me home. Is that true?" He asked. She grinned.

"Yup! It was nothing!" She chirped. He scowled.

"In your condition? You were injured!" He growled.

She stared at him, and then shook it off.

"I was wondering if you wanted to take a walk with me today. I was going to go and train a little, too." She said. He sighed.

"Are you fit to fight?" He asked. She smiled.

"Sure! I'm fine!" She said, spinning around. He picked up his training gear and walked to the door, opening it for her.

"I'll be back in a little bit." He announced.

They walked on for a while without saying anything to each other, and then Sheeva struck up a conversation.

"Where's Baki? I noticed that he didn't return with us. Did he stay behind?" She asked. Kiba's stomach dropped. _Do I lie? Oh, crap. What do I do?!_

"I don't know. I didn't notice he wasn't with us when we left." He lied.

"Oh." She sighed and shut up, glancing into the window of a nearby store. She stopped, staring deeply in at one of the persons inside. _Oh, no… _

"It can't be…" She muttered aloud, completely taken by surprise. The man inside turned around, unaware that she was watching him.

Kiba had noticed that she wasn't with him, and looked around. He ran back to her.

"What?" He asked.

_There is no mistake. It's him! It's… Aku…_

Kiba looked at her face—her mouth was dropped open, her skin was white as a ghost's. He looked in her eyes. She was terrified. He had never recalled seeing her so fearful, even when she was at her wit's end (as far as he knew), she was never as scared as she appeared now.

"Sheeva. Sheeva, what's wrong?" He asked, alarmed.

She didn't answer, but stood there, paralyzed.

"Sheeva!" He barked, turning her to him and shaking her a little.

"What's wrong?" He asked. Her lip was trembling, and she had tears in the corners of her eyes. The door to the shop opened, and Kiba turned to look at the person exiting. It was the same man, and he gave him a look, and then looked over his shoulder.

"Well well well… who do we have here? Sheeva? Are you still with your uncle? I've missed you." He said, grinning and licking his lips. Kiba grew suspicious.

He went to say something, but felt Sheeva jerk away from him and start running in the direction of the Kazekage's office.

"Sheeva! What the hell?!" He shouted, chasing after her. He was gaining on her, and then she jumped up to a rooftop. He jumped up too, trying to catch up with her.

"Sheeva! What's going on?!" He shouted out to her. He chased her to the front door, and ran in after her. She ran straight to the office, and shut the door, and he smacked into it.

"Augh! Sheeva, what the hell? What's going on?" He shouted through the keyhole. Gaara had jumped up at her entry, and became alarmed as he saw that she was terrified.

"Let him in." He told his secretary. She nodded and let him in. Sheeva ran to Gaara's arms.

"He's here-he found me—it was him, I swear to kami-sama! This can't happen! I can't—I don't want--" She stopped, wailing and gripping onto his arms tightly. He patted her back, letting her cry. He looked over at Kiba, who was utterly confused.

"Who was it? Was it your uncle?" He asked, feeling angry. He began to show it on his face.

"No!" She said. It was muffled because of his robes.

He grew furious, and Kiba backed away into a corner.

"Was it… the other man?" He asked. She nodded. He growled loudly.

"What happened? Did the bastard touch you?" He asked. She didn't answer, but continued to cry. Kiba stepped in.

"No. He did not. Sheeva…" He reached out a hand to pat her, and she turned to him, nearly knocking him over as she hugged him. He sighed and hugged her back.

"Who is he?" Kiba asked. Gaara stared at them.

"Her rapist." He answered. Kiba felt sick.

"When did this happen?" He asked her, lifting her head to look at her. She wiped her eyes.

"I was four… maybe five… I don't know." She answered, staring at the ground in shame. She backed away, and walked to the window, staring out of it at the ground below.

"Was he chasing after you?" Gaara asked. She shook her head.

"No. We ran into him…" _I don't understand… he left, when my uncle left. They're accomplices. Does that mean… that he's trying to spy on me? Oh, god…_

"You can't tell Kankuro. Not Temari, either. Or Eva, or anybody else. Nobody, do you understand, Kiba? This man is dangerous. Sheeva is not the only victim. There have been a few others, and this man targets boys as well. He has seen your faces, I assume?" Gaara stated. Kiba nodded.

"You'll have to change your hairstyles and color immediately. Your eye colors, we'll have to change those too. Kiba, you have to change your outfit. That might include the sunglasses, I'm not sure. Sheeva… well, you know what to do now… you'll have to change your weapons as well. There are only three people in the city that use the same weapons as you, and you will become an easy target. They may use us to get to you." Gaara commanded.

"Kiba, I need to talk to Sheeva alone for a second. Please wait outside." He asked. Kiba nodded and left.

"Sheeva." He walked to her side.

"You can't hide it from Kankuro any longer. You have to tell him. Your safety is at risk, and so is your family." He said. She sighed, and nodded.

"You're right. I don't have a choice… do you know where he is?" She asked. He shook his head.

"No. Temari might, however. She's at home, I think." He stated.

She gave another sigh, taking a deep breath.

"Ok."

* * *

Kiba left a note for Sheeva at the secretary's desk, headed for the entrance. He sat in the sun, waiting for her to arrive.

_I never would have guessed…that's why she's so afraid of things like intimacy. Perhaps that's also why she is constantly keeping watch over her back… what the hell did that man do to her? Gaara said he targets boys as well?_ Kiba shivered from disgust. _I wonder if I should tell my father and mother. But what about Eva? No, she's her best friend. Of sorts. She should already know by now… right? But, if she hadn't told me, she wouldn't have told Eva yet._

He heaved an exasperated sigh and held his head in his hands.

"Kiba?" Her voice broke him out of his thoughts.

He looked up at her. She sat next to him on the steps.

"I… I'm sorry for not telling you before… I just—

"You didn't need to tell me. It's your secret. But don't worry. It's safe with me. I promise." He told her, wrapping his arm around her shoulders. She seemed a little shocked.

_For him to show any affection, especially as much as this! I must have scared him badly…I don't want to be a burden…_ She stood and began to walk down the steps.

"Let's go home. We'll have to take a different route from now on." She said. He nodded and stood, walking with her to her apartment, feeling as if the walk took hours instead of minutes. They said nothing to each other except for a small "Goodbye" when parting ways.

* * *

Sheeva slowly walked up to Kankuro after dinner, stomach tight with fear. She had acted strange, and completely unlike herself at dinner.

"Kankuro. There's… something I have to tell you." She stated. He sat up and set his book down.

"You're pregnant." He joked. She smiled a little at it, but then it faded.

"Before… well, before you found me, I…" She started, then bit her lip.

"There was this man that _he_ would leave me with… and he… well…" She wiped the tears out of her eyes. Kankuro got the message.

"Did he rape you?" He asked. Slowly, she nodded. He sighed, and hung his head in his hands. Tears pooled in his eyes.

"You've been keeping this secret for the past ten, twelve years? Why? Why didn't you tell me? I'm willing to help you." He asked. She crossed her arms, sitting on the couch and tucking her knees into her chest.

"I don't know! I was… I'm so scared, Kankuro!" She cried, hiding her face between her knees. Kankuro stood and sat next to her, pulling her into his lap and letting her rest her head on his shoulder and cry into it.

"I am so sorry. It's… I know it wasn't my fault, but I still feel guilty!" She admitted. Kankuro rocked her back and forth.

"Shh… It's okay. I'm here. I will help protect you. You don't have to feel guilty. You were afraid. I understand." He consoled her. She eventually calmed down.

"What brought this up? Obviously something happened today. Did Kiba hurt you? I can't believe it, but—

--we ran into him… we ran into…Aku Kitsugaya." She stated. He sighed and nodded his head.

"I know him… I ran into him a couple of times, and he was always drunk… am I right? How many times did he…"

"I don't know… More than a few times though…" She answered.

"Please don't tell Temari." She asked. Kankuro nodded.

"I suppose that Gaara already knows?" He asked. She nodded. He patted her back. There was a knock at the door, and Sheeva froze, eyes widening.

"Shh. We're not here." She whispered, crawling out of his grasp and to the door, masking her chakra. She peeked out of the keyhole, and sighed, opening the door. It was Eva.

"Are you ok? I ran into Kiba, and he was… well, he was upset. Usually you two are always together, so…" She trailed off. Sheeva took her hand and pulled her inside, shutting the door and locking it tightly.

Eva immediately realized things weren't good here.

"What happened today?" She asked. Sheeva sighed, and asked her to wait in the living room. Sheeva went to the kitchen and made some coffee, pouring it into three mugs. This was going to be a long night, and no doubt she'd have some terrible, whacked up dream early in the morning…

* * *

_I'm back in that house… why the hell am I back in this fucking house?! NO! Get out, get out, get out!!!_

_Sheeva ran for the front door, but then the hallway began to spin, the doors revolving around. When they stopped, the front door was on the ceiling, and the various paintings were in different places. She tried to climb the walls, but fell back down. She stood back up, and tried again, managing to swing open the front door. The walls began to shift again, and another door beneath her opened, and she lost her grip, screaming as she fell into the open door._

_She hit something, and stood. She looked at her hands—she was five years old again._

_"No! Kankuro! Kiba! Eva, somebody, help me!! Please!!" She screamed. She saw a faint light and began to run for it. She reached out to touch it, but felt a hand grab her arm and begin to pull her back._

_"No!! Let me go! Help!! Ahhh!!!" She screamed as she was pulled back into the darkness of the old house._

Eva delivered a hard slap to Sheeva's cheek, and in return, Sheeva snapped her eyes open. She sat up, screaming and kicking. She jumped at Eva being so close to her, and then hugged her, shaking.

"I'm ok. I'm ok. Right?" She asked. Eva nodded.

"You're fine. Really." She answered. Sheeva calmed down and lay back, wiping her forehead.

_I knew this was going to happen…_

_

* * *

_

**Jeeze... This was a hard chapter for me to write. really, honestly, it was...**

**hope you don't hate me for it, yeah?**

**ciao ciao.**


	28. Report 4

**Hello, all you awesome people out there!**

**now... review count: 57**

**thank you. and now, i'm going to be mean and bump it up again. this time to 65. (The last time it was 55)**

**plus where i'm moving to, there should be someone (more like a lot of people) that will read this.**

**Good bye!**

**(i'll be writing a lot on my 11 hour layover while i travel, so... yeah.)**

**Sheeva**

**p.s. will not be on for a while--i leave tomorrow.**

**wish me luck!**


	29. Leaving

incredibly sorry for not uploadign in such a long time!

Jetlag kicked my ass!!

and so does school...

here we go! Tons more!(not.)

* * *

Chapter 25

Eva stared at Sheeva, pity evident in her eyes. Kankuro burst in with a kunai at hand. He calmed as he saw no threat, and sighed.

"She had another night terror, didn't she? Should have warned you." He stated. She waved it off.

"Come on… try and sit up. Why don't we go for a walk? Just you and me for the day, huh? We'll go train, or maybe head towards the greenhouse. Does that sound good to you?" Eva offered. Sheeva wiped her eyes and nodded.

"That sounds great." She said. Eva smiled.

"I'll try and cook up some breakfast before we go. You're probably really hungry. I know I am." She said. Eva scooted past Kankuro and went to the kitchen. Kankuro sighed, and sat on the edge of Sheeva's bed.

"Gaara assigned us a mission, Sheev's. Kiba, Eva, You and I will be going to join Baki on his mission. Why though, I don't know. Gaara said that it was urgent." He explained.

She stared at him and nodded.

"I understand." She stated. He smiled and patted her head, and then stood, walking away.

Sheeva sighed and gathered her weapons, and carried them to the living room. Eva set a plate down on the table in front of her, and Sheeva stared at it.

"What is…"

"Fried eggs and rice. Don't pick at it, just eat it." She commanded. Sheeva smiled and sat down, picking up some chopsticks and wolfing down the food in seconds. She stood and stretched.

"Damn, that was good!" She exclaimed. Eva peered around the corner of the kitchen, eyebrow quirked in confusion.

"Your spirits are lifted." She stated. Sheeva didn't hear. She picked up her weapons and walked out the door, announcing that she was headed for Kiba's. Kankuro rushed out after her, leaving Eva alone in the apartment.

"Sheeva! Wait! You can't just—huh?" Kankuro ran out to find nothing. Sheeva had disappeared as quickly as she had rushed out the door. He searched for her Chakra signature, unable to locate it. He ran back into the apartment and alarmed Eva, who dropped the pan and ran out the door.

"Sheeva, where the hell did you go? Damnit!" She cursed, jumping up on the roof. She stopped, staring at Sheeva, who was staring off into the distance.

"What are you searching for?" She asked. Sheeva stared out still.

"My old house." She replied, and then took off in a cloud of dust.

"What—god, Sheeva! Seriously…" Eva took off after her.

She eventually caught up with her, and growled as she took off again, heading in the direction of the gates.

_This is annoying…_

******************************************************************************

"Eva! We just found Kankuro! Come on!!" Kiba's voice called out from outside her door. She opened it, happy.

"Really? Is Sheeva back too!?" She asked.

"I don't know. He's at the hospital!" He exclaimed, rushing to the hospital. They ran up the stairs to his room, and nearly threw the door open.

"Sheeva, Kankuro!" Eva burst, but then frowned.

"Hey, kids… She… she's still there. I-I'm sorry… I tried, but they kicked my ass…oh, god, Sheeva!" He began to weep, rolling onto his side and crying into the pillow.

"No. No…" Kiba muttered. Eva gasped and turned around, furious.

"How long? How long are we gonna sit around and wait until she's—

--I'm calling Shibi. He'll be able to do something… I hope." Kiba growled, rushing out of the room and to the nearest phone. Eva walked to Kankuro and patted his shoulder.

"She's gonna be okay. She's a strong girl. We all know that." She muttered, more to herself than to him. She sighed and stared at the setting sun. Three weeks had passed already, and she worried that it might turn to three months, or even be too late.

* * *

The next chapter will explain. that's all i have to say.

have a nice day, and please review!!

Arigatou


	30. Survived again

This chapter, be warned, is ugly. and so is the next. but they're good chapters, i hope.

bye!

* * *

Chapter 26

_Drip, drip…drip, drip…_

Sheeva shivered from the cold, wrapping the moth-eaten blanket tighter around her body. A metal tray lay next to her with a moldy, stale piece of bread, a rotten squishy apple, and a murky glass of water. She hadn't touched it. Rather, her eyes were fixed upon a small hole in the wall, waiting for a rat—a small morsel—that would at least do better than a stale piece of bread and a squishy apple.

The rat hidden in the hole sniffed at the air, and the scent of blood overrode its cautious instincts. It curried out to the body it saw, and stared at it for a while. The body didn't move. It didn't even breathe.

The rat crawled up her leg, and began to feast on the dead flesh of the wound she had received from one of the Akatsuki members. It was so engrossed with the meal that it didn't notice that there was a hand sneaking up behind it. Sheeva grabbed its tail and with her other hand grabbed its neck, choking the creature. It screeched and tried to wriggle free, but she gripped tighter, letting go of the tail and squeezing its body. It finally died as she snapped its small neck.

She smiled and bit it, tearing a small hole. She tore the skin and fur off, leaving a bloody, dripping hunk of meat. She lit a fire with her palm, and roasted it, holding it by its tail. Quickly she devoured it, tossing the bones aside.

The gate to her cell opened, and a cloaked man stepped in. He undid the chains holding her to the wall, and handcuffed her ankles and wrists. She screamed as he yanked her up by her hair.

"Let go of me, you bastard!" She barked, trying to get free. She was jerked by her hair again.

"I don't like this anymore than you, so shut up, do as I say, and you'll live." She heard him growl. There was a shatter, and a few curse words.

"Chidori!" Another voice yelled out. There was the sound of lightning, and an agonized scream of pain. The door burst open as a body broke down the door. She looked; it was Mayuri, the freak "Doctor" of the group.

She looked at the face of the person that had thrown Mayuri, and recognized it immediately.

"I know the fastest way out of here." Sheeva stated.

"You know who we are?" A woman with a hooded cloak and ANBU mask asked.

"Your pink hair gives it away, Sakura Uchiha." She whispered. There were voices down the hall, and she turned around.

"Run! This way, follow me!" She yelled, running for the nearest exit. She turned sharply to the left, then right, and right again, rushing up a set of stairs and then into a large room, where one of the Akatsuki lay, dead. She stopped as she recognized him. It was Ichigo. He didn't really like being in the group, but he was forced into it because he had lost a bet with Koji.

Sakura grabbed her and dragged her out of the place. They were stopped by Koji, who began to advance upon Sheeva, weapon drawn.

"You bitch. You're not getting away. Nobody gets away from me… twice!" He shouted. She kicked him in the leg, and punched him, running. He went to take after her, but when he saw Neji, Sasuke, and Sakura, he stopped, and scurried away.

Sheeva watched him retreat, and felt herself falling, unable to stand.

_I…have survived… again… S_he thought, letting her eyes close.

******************************************************************************

She sat up, body aching, wondering where she was. It took a while for her eyes to focus, and even longer for her to remember what happened.

"Good. You're awake. How many fingers am I holding up?" Sakura asked, holding up two fingers.

"Three?" She slurred, setting her head back down.

"Close enough…" She muttered, trying to get Sheeva to sit up so that she could drink some water.

"You hungry?" Sasuke asked.

"My last meal was a skinny, meatless rat. I'm starving." She admitted.

"Don't eat too fast. You'll hurt yourself that way." Sakura warned.

"Where are we? Why are you guys here? Is everything alright in Suna? Is Gaara okay? What about—

--slow down. All in good time, kid. First you need to get better." Neji interrupted.

"You… have the same eyes as Hinata. Oh, that's right… we met during the Chuunin exams." She muttered, rubbing her head with a slight headache.

"Rats don't taste very good, do they?" Sasuke asked. Sheeva nodded.

"But when you're hungry, you'll eat anything." She stated. She sighed and took the canteen of water next to her, and drank deeply, and then lay back, trying to rest a little longer. She fell into a deep sleep, tossing and turning, trying to ignore the subconscious fear.

******************************************************************************

"Sheeva!!" Eva yelled as she ran across the training grounds.

"Oh, my god, you're okay!!" She screamed as she hugged her tightly. Sheeva coughed; Eva was choking her.

"Can't…breathe, Eva!!" She managed to get out. Eva let her go and then gasped.

"You haven't seen Kiba yet, have you!? Go, go, go! He's… well, he should be at the greenhouse! GO!" She shouted, pushing her off in the direction. Eva then ran into the city to find Kankuro, Gaara, Temari, and their sensei, Baki.

******************************************************************************

"Kiba?" She called out, trying to find Kiba in the darkness of the greenhouse. Someone shined a flashlight in her direction, and then she felt herself being hugged tightly.

"You're ok. I knew you would be okay." He sighed. She smiled a little, and softly hugged him back.

"I had you worried…" She muttered. He nodded.

"You look tired. Why don't you go home? We'll catch up tomorrow. I need to sleep too." She suggested. He nodded.

"That's probably for the best." He muttered. He walked her home, and then rushed to his own house, so excited and happy that he could barely contain himself.

******************************************************************************

"Dad!" She shouted, as soon as she walked in. He was in the living room, tweaking Karasu's weapons and attributes. He looked up, and stared at her for a minute, mouth agape.

"Oh, god, it's you, Sheeva!" He blurted, encasing her in a hug and crying. She was crying too, holding onto him for dear life.

"I'm home…"

* * *

*sigh* i miss my dad too! T.T

Hope you enjoyed ths one. can't wait to get those reviews!!! YA!!!!!!!!

ciao!

Sheeva


	31. Cuddling in the Greenhouse?

Not much to say, really.

read and review please!!

* * *

Chapter 27

She had been training until the dead of night, exhausting her body. All her muscles were sore; she was dehydrated, and starving from skipping all three meals of the day to train.

Kiba and Eva had noticed a change from the three months of captivity, and alarmed Baki about it. He figured that her anger was due to Kankuro nearly being killed by the Akatsuki, but he knew that there was more in play than just that.

Eva, Kiba, Sheeva, and Kankuro went on a mission, but were ambushed by the Akatsuki. Eva, Baki and Kiba managed to escape, but Kankuro and Sheeva were recaptured. A few weeks later, Kankuro showed up half-dead on Gaara's doorstep, with no idea how or what happened to him. Sheeva was still held captive. No one knew what else had happened to her, and when confronted about it, she would shut up, and refuse to talk.

Kiba had snuck back to the training grounds, watching as she trained herself to death. She was running the track, throwing kunai at multiple targets that she had hung. There were about thirty kunai stuck to each target. She slowed as she reached the end of the four miles she had run, and examined her progress. A few kunai had missed her targets, but she dismissed the matter.

After catching her breath, she picked up Karasu and her fan, and began to run the track again.

It began to storm, wind tossing sand and rocky debris everywhere, but still she ran. She covered her mouth and nose to keep from breathing in the sand, and she squinted her eyes to keep the sand out of them. Kiba took a closer look at her face, and felt his heart drop. She had tears streaming down her face, causing the sand to stick to her cheeks, and the angriest expression he had ever seen from her.

She let out a scream of fury, snapping him out of his horrified trance. He blinked, and looked again, trying to find her shadow through the growing thickness of the sandstorm. She appeared as a lump, he guessed she was on her knees. She was wailing, and wiping her nose with the sleeve of her arm."Damn you, Koji you son of a bitch!!" She shouted out at the sky. She lay on her side, curling into a ball.

"I'm not weak! I'm not weak. And I'm not… not a… not a whore." She sighed as she sat back up. Kiba had maneuvered his way to hiding behind her. He hit her in the back of the head, knocking her out. He then picked her up, weapons and all, and set off for Kankuro's apartment.

******************************************************************

Sheeva stirred from her sleep. Her body was extremely sore, and she had sand from head to foot.

She opened her eyes and then shut them again, the light blinding her. She sat up, and something caught her eye in the mirror.

_We need to talk!_ –Kiba.

She tried to remember what had happened to her.

_Oh. That's right. I passed out from running so long. _She wiped her eyes and ruffled her hair. The sand stuck to her scalp caught beneath her fingernails, and she groaned.

She stumbled to the bathroom, stripping and stepping into the shower, quickly washing her body and hair, then rushing to her room to put on a clean outfit. Without eating breakfast, and attempting to not wake Kankuro, she rushed to the Aburame compound.

Shino opened the door when she knocked on it.

"Kiba wanted to talk to me. Is he here?" She asked. Shino shook his head.

"He's at the greenhouse." He replied. Sheeva groaned. The greenhouse was on the other side of the city, and she had already traveled to Kiba's house, which was on the opposite side.

"Thanks." She muttered. She rushed for the greenhouse, trying to take the shortest way possible.

Walking inside she took a deep breath.

"Kiba?" She called out. Kiba poked his head from around the corner of one of the long tables.

"Hn?"

"You wanted to talk to me." She reminded him. He nodded.

"Sit." He demanded.

"So?" She asked.

"I'm disappointed in you. You're training yourself to death, Sheeva!" He began, voice rising with anger. Sheeva silenced.

"I have to." She stated.

"You _have_ to? Why? So you can run off and avenge Kankuro?" He questioned. She looked away.

"You don't know what happened back there, Kiba." She whispered, tucking her knees into her chest. He softened.

"Sheeva… will you tell me what happened?" He asked. She didn't answer.

She took out Gaara's good luck pendant and began to turn it over in her fingers, mentally trying to prepare herself to tell him the truth.

"They beat the hell out of me in front of Kankuro. They played their sick mental games on me. I thought that I had killed him. I thought that I had killed you and Eva on a rescue mission for me. Then they… they threatened to… kill me if I didn't do what they told me to. They told me to get stronger, or else they would kill me." She stopped, gripping the small pendant in her hand tightly. Her knuckles turned white. Kiba swallowed, trying to loosen the knot in his throat.

She grabbed her hair at the sides of her head and pulled, screaming.

"If I am just a dirt bag--a-a toy for sick twisted people, then what the hell is the point of living?! I hate this!" She yelled.

"What the heck is your problem, Sheeva? You can't think like this! There are good things to live for!" He barked. She stared at him, eyes red with tears and anger. She then pinned him down, gripping his collar and holding him down.

"Bullshit Kiba! They nearly killed Kankuro! They killed my mother, they even killed my father! They kill anyone that crosses with them! I will not let them kill anymore!" She yelled, crying. The tears fell down her face and onto his jacket. He stared at her. He lifted a hand and wiped away the tears from her cheeks with his thumb.

"Please… Think this through. Think of all the people that you have to back you up. You don't have to do this alone. Kankuro, Temari, Gaara, they are here. Even my dad and mom. Eva too. And I'm here, by your side, as I always have. And we always will be." He smiled, and she stopped, shocked.

"K-Kiba…" She leaned into his shoulder and began to cry. He patted her back, and hugged her tightly.

"It's ok." He whispered. He sighed and relaxed, allowing her to cry. When he went to move, he found that she had fallen asleep. He smiled, and slowly moved her, sitting up and then putting her in his lap. She curled up against him, smiling, and wrapping her arms around his waist. He let his head back against the edge of the table, and let himself sleep.

******************************************************************

Kiba awoke softly to something touching his face. He opened his eyes, and rather than seeing the world through dark shades, he saw light. He then shut his eyes again, frustrated.

"Why do you hide your eyes?" He heard a voice ask. He then realized it was Sheeva.

"What are you doing?" He asked. She giggled, and hugged him, burying her face in the crook of his neck.

"Doesn't matter." She muttered. He felt woozy, and tried to pry her away. _This isn't her. Is it?_

He pushed her away, but she fought back, kissing him on the cheek. He froze, and felt his stomach drop.

"Kiba… I have loved you for so long…ever since our first day at the academy."

"Sheeva, stop this. _NOW._" He commanded. She ignored his order, and pushed him on his back, pulling his collar away from his neck. His eyes widened for a second as she planted a small kiss on his lips, letting her lips linger. She pulled away, and he sighed.

"I can't do _this!_ Sheeva, get the hell off of me NOW!" He yelled, pushing her as hard as he could. He scrambled to get up, rushing out of the greenhouse and to his house like a bat out of hell. Shino and Hinata poked their heads around the corner of the kitchen and peered at him, confused. He was breathing heavily, banging his head against the wall. He didn't notice that they were watching, and so went to his room, completely oblivious.

Hinata patted Shino on the back.

"I'll take care of this." She announced, knocking on Kiba's door.

"Kiba, what happened out there?" She asked. He opened up the door to let his mother in, then sat back in his chair by the desk.

"I don't really know." He lied. She patted him on the back.

"You're shaking." She activated her Byakugan and looked at the Kikai in his body. They were buzzing around excitedly. She deactivated it, and blinked a few times.

"Sheeva… was acting really weird. She… she took advantage of me…" He muttered, ashamed. He cringed as he heard the doorbell ring, and bit his lip.

Shino walked into Kiba's room, and behind him, Sheeva. She looked extremely embarrassed, and avoided everyone's eyes.

"Kiba, I… I'm sorry! I didn't mean it! I don't know what was going on!" She blurted. Kiba stood, and turned to her.

"Bullshit. You knew what you were doing." He growled. Hinata and Shino stared at him, shocked.

"No, Kiba, really I didn't—

--get out." He growled, glaring at her.

She stared at him.

"Kiba, please, listen to me!"

"OUT!!" He shouted, throwing a nearby book at her, making her cringe. She ran out of the house, crying. He sighed, then the realization of his outburst hit him, and he stared at his feet. He wiped away a tear, and Hinata went to console him.

"Honey—

--mom, go. Just… leave me alone. Both of you." He growled, crawling into his bed and covering his head with the pillow. Shino took Hinata's hand and led her out of the room, and shut the door behind him.

******************************************************************

Sheeva had run back to the training grounds, utterly pissed.

"Naomi, what the hell were you thinking? WHY the hell did you do this to me?!" She screamed.

_I had to do something…you wouldn't have done anything about how much you love the boy. So I did it for you._ Naomi explained.

"Oh, great! And now he hates me! You…you have done nothing except screw up my life! Go away! I hate you! I HATE YOU!!" She screamed at the top of her lungs. Naomi slunk back into a corner, locking herself away from Sheeva.

_Fine. When you need my help, I won't be there. You think you can get by without me? Fine. Piss off._ She stated.

Sheeva found a nearby kunai and began to chuck it at the post, the dull thudding calming her down.

******************************************************************

"Sheeva, where the hell are you?" Kankuro muttered as he scanned the training grounds. She was nowhere to be seen, and he grew worried. The grounds were on the outside of the city, where most of the dangerous people chose to attack lone people.

He gave up on the grounds, and so ran back home, hoping that she had come back. He had gotten a call from Kiba's parents about the situation, and they only had a portion to it, but he knew it was probably worse than that.

He stopped as he reached the door. Stuck in the crack was a note addressed to him from Sheeva.

_Dad:_

_I'm gone by the time you get this. Don't bother looking for me. Don't bother crying. I won't be back._

_I'm going to go somewhere far away from here. I'm going to live there, and change my name, my appearance, everything. Naomi and I aren't talking, Kiba probably hates me now, and I don't want to endanger anyone else in my home._

_I'll become stronger, and when I do, I'm going to kill the Akatsuki. Stay out of my way, or I'll kill you too._

_Sheeva._

He stared at the letter, stupefied. He rushed into the house, searching for her, and when he didn't find her, he fell to his knees, and wept for a good hour. He gathered himself before taking the note to Gaara's office.

Gaara had received the same letter, and apparently, so had Temari and Baki.

"Why did she do this? What happened to her to make her so… unbalanced?" Temari asked, wiping her face with a tissue.

"It might have something to do with what happened between Kiba and Sheeva today. Or maybe something happened when she had been kept as a prisoner by the Akatsuki… Either way, Kiba will know something." Kankuro stated, staring out of the window.

"Let's go talk with him." Temari demanded.

"Wait. I'll talk with him. He's on my team, and I know him best." Baki offered, walking out of the office. He jumped up on the rooftops of the housing, and ran to the Aburame house.

He pounded on the door. Hinata opened it, and he let himself in.

"Sheeva's gone. Where's Kiba?" He asked. There was the sound of a breaking dish, and Kiba rushed out of the kitchen.

"She's _what_? Gone? Where did she—

--we don't know, but we do know that she's gone after Akatsuki. And… She said that if we interfere, she'll kill us." Baki announced. Kiba stared at him, mouth open.

"This… this is my fault." He muttered.

"No, it's not, Kiba. You did nothing wrong." Hinata whispered, pulling him into a hug.

"Yes, I did, mother! I yelled at her, I chased her away! Jesus, I-I treated her like crap, and all she did was love me!" He shouted, and then clapped his hands to his mouth. Baki sighed.

"Control yourself, Aburame. If you lose your head, there won't be a way to help her." Baki commanded. Kiba calmed himself.

"We need to leave now." Kiba said. Baki nodded.

"Eva's at home now. We'll go get her now. And we'll need someone else to go with us…" Baki assessed. The door behind them swung open, and Kankuro stepped in, Sanshouou strapped to his back.

"I'm going with you. Eva's already been alarmed; she's meeting us at the front. Kid, grab your stuff. We don't have much time." Kankuro growled. He had put on fresh face-paint, and the familiar pig suit.

Kiba ran to his room, threw on his gear, and grabbed his medic pack and weapons.

He said goodbye to his mom and dad, and rushed out of the door, hurrying to the front gates. With every step he grew more and more nervous and angry.

* * *

I LOVE my next chapter!!! it kicks ASS!!! (I thought this was pretty good too.)


	32. Report 5

**Hello, all! I would like to thank these people yet again: Baby Cougar, Kitsun, and 1moonwitch. so far, they have reviewed most on my story. Keep at it, and thank you very much!**

**BTW, if anyone wishes to use my ideas, feel free, but please give me credit for it. (That's called stealing if you don't. I think...)**

**anyway, thanks.**

**now... review count: still 57..****.**

**I just posted a shitload of new chapters, so if i don't get some reviews, i'm gonna be pissed!**

**(jk.) i understand. you read when you have time. And some of us don't have the luxury of time. ^.^**

**Sayounara!**

**(Goodbye)**


	33. Pursuit

I'm too tired to write any Author's Notes, so deal with it and move on.

Read and review, please.

Oh, and tiny bit of romance in next chapter. *grin* not done yet, though, so... yeah.

ja ne.

* * *

Chapter 28

Sheeva stared at the rising sun. She had been running since she left, and felt a bit lost. She sniffed at the air, and smelt the air of Konoha nearby. She pinned it due north, and turned, sighing as she began to run once again.

The lone kikaichu in her body began to buzz; picking up that someone was tracking her. She wasn't sure if it was Kiba, Shino, or possibly an Aburame from Konoha, but she didn't care. She would lose them, no matter how long and fast she had to run.

She dodged in and out of trees, the scents of Konoha growing stronger and stronger. She stopped, and quickly cast a Jutsu on a tree, hiding Temari's fan inside of it. She marked it with a dagger, and then continued on her way. She emptied out her canteen of water—there was only a drink left in it anyway—and stuffed some of the sand from the gourd in it, casting another Jutsu on a nearby tree, closer to Konoha. She hid the massive gourd inside, sealed it, and marked it with another dagger, and left. The loss of weight helped her to travel faster, and she reached the gates before noon.

Total, it had taken her a day and a half to get from Suna to Konoha. She sighed as she walked through the gates, and was stopped by a guard. She showed him her pass, and he let her go. She walked immediately to the Aburame compound, requesting to speak with Shibi. He was happy to see her.

"Welcome back, Sheeva. Where is my grandson?" he asked, looking behind her. She sighed.

"He's in Suna. I left… I have a Kikai that belongs to… to Kiba, and he can use it to track me. I don't want that… can you take it out? The other problem is that it is attached to me." She stated. Shibi sighed and shook his head.

"I can't. It's his Kikai—he has to be the one to take it out." He explained. Sheeva nodded, upset. She then thought of an idea.

"I can control it a little bit. Can I try to release it and leave it here with the other bugs?" She asked. Shibi thought for a bit.

"I suppose. Try it." He suggested. She focused on the little bug, which had nestled itself in her side, beneath her breast. It wriggled itself free, and crawled out of a hole in her hand.

"Goodbye." She whispered as it uncased its wings from the hard casing and took off, excited to join the others.

"What made you leave?" He asked. She sighed and stared at the ground.

"I am trying to protect the others. The Akatsuki are after me because of Naomi." She stated. Shibi was confused.

"The Akatsuki who hunt demons? They're after you?" He asked. She nodded.

"Yes. Naomi is my demon. I'm just a mere 'host". She replied. Shibi scratched the back of his head.

"Why didn't you stay there? They have city defenses that can protect you." He stated.

She scoffed.

"They managed to trick Gaara and send Kankuro out on a mission, and then ambushed him, taking him captive. Then they sent my team and me out, and ambushed us as well. They nearly killed Kankuro, and Baki-sensei. I will not be the cause of their death." She growled. Shibi sighed.

"How long have you been gone?"

"About two days."

"Do you need a place to rest?" He asked. She nodded.

"Then stay here. The Akatsuki will not be able to get past our walls." He stated.

She nodded, and then walked away.

"I have someone else I need to contact." She muttered, leaving the grounds. He nodded, and then sighed as he sat down and began to write a letter to Naruto notifying him of her return.

***********************************************************************************************************

"Why the hell would she go to Konoha?" Eva questioned. The others shrugged. Kiba had not said a word since their departure, and even now, at the gates of Konoha, he remained silent. It had taken them nearly three days to get here, and his Kikai told him that she was here. The signal was extremely strong.

"Kiba, come on." Eva muttered, nudging him. He started off again, following the signal, the others trailing behind. He led them to the Aburame compound. He pounded on the door, and Shibi answered, shocked to find them on his doorstep.

"Sheeva left the city yesterday..." He stated. Kiba frowned.

"But… Shit. She left the Kikai here. Where is it?" He asked. Shibi led them to the room where they kept the Kikai, and the tiny bug recognized its master's chakra at once, and rushed to it, happy.

He felt Sheeva's chakra still inside the bug, and knew that it had really gotten attached to her.

"We're leaving." He stated, rushing past Eva.

"Huh? We just got here!" She complained.

"Her signature won't last long within this Kikaichu. We have no choice but to track her down immediately." He demanded. They sighed and said nothing as they left, trying to keep up with Kiba as he led the way. They left the city, irritated.

"Why would she leave? What happened between you two?" Eva asked him. He gritted his teeth, and sighed.

"I got angry with her, and told her to go away from me…I didn't think that she would take it this seriously…She's also in slight trouble with the Akatsuki. They're chasing after her, but I don't know why." He explained, telling them what he wanted them to know. He didn't want them to know about what had happened in the greenhouse; otherwise, they might see him as more of an asshole than he was.

They begged him to let them stop after the sun began to descend, and it took Baki and Kankuro to convince him to rest. He sighed, and curled up in his sleeping bag, pretending to sleep.

After all the others had fallen asleep, he snuck away, and used Sheeva's Kikaichu to locate her, if possible. He had to climb the highest tree that he could find, and he found that she had changed her direction west, towards the sea.

_The sea? Why would she be going to the sea?_ He wondered. He sighed, and watched as the sun rose. He then jumped down and woke the others, telling them to hurry in hopes of catching up with her.

"She's going to the sea. For what, I have no clue." Kiba growled, rolling up his bag and putting it on his back.

They finished packing, and raced each other to the beach.

***********************************************************************************************************

"What do you mean, you can't accept me? Why not?" She asked the captain. He shook his head.

"You are a woman. All of my crew is men." He stated. She glared at him.

"I can take care of myself. I've been through worse. A lot worse." She huffed. He sighed and scratched the back of his head.

"Would you be willing to disguise yourself as a man? You're flat enough, no offense." He bluntly whispered. She grinned.

"I can. That's easy."

"Ok…come back tomorrow, and show me your disguise. Then we'll decide."

"How 'bout I show you my disguise now and we leave immediately?" She stated. She put her hands together in the sign of the tiger.

"Transform!" She hissed.

When the cloud of dust cleared away, she had taken the form of a teenaged boy with red hair and blue eyes. Her arms and legs were lightly muscular, and she had a slight mustache.

The captain raised an eyebrow.

"Interesting...Well, welcome aboard, Mr. Smith." He said, holding his hand out for her to shake it.

She shook, trying to imitate a man's grip.

"Might want to work on the shaking. It's too girly." He tipped. She nodded, and left the cabin. The first mate asked for her name.

"Zacharias Smith, sir." She replied with the deep voice she had practiced with.

"Mr. Smith. God, there's too many of you…d'you know how to mop floors?" He asked.

"Yes sir." She answered. He handed her a mop and bucket.

"Then get going." He ordered. She began immediately, scrubbing the floors as hard as she could. She didn't stop until they were sparkling clean. She went to the First mate and announced that she was done. He looked, and had to shield his eyes from the gleam of the sun off the floors.

"Holy shit, kid. You got that done in two hours! It usually takes three times as long!" He exclaimed. She frowned.

"Six hours…to clean a floor? What do you men do? Sit around and pick your nose?" She blurted. He looked at her suspiciously.

"What?" He asked. She laughed.

"Just something I picked up from my mom." She lied.

"Right…so where you from?" He asked. She froze.

"Sunagakure." She answered.

"Suna, eh? That's all the way in the desert. What brings a boy like you to the sea?" He questioned.

"I ran away from my home." She answered. He smiled.

"Heh. Let me guess. A girl broke your heart."

_This guy… he's got to be a fucking mind reader!!_

"Something like that." She stated.

"Got anything else for me to do?"

He shook hs head.

"Yer not afraid of heights, are you?"

"no, I love them." She admitted, eager to away.

"Kay… Why don't you go watch as we set sail? He suggested.

She smiled, and climbed into the crow's nest, staring at the land. She could see Konoha,. And the vast deserts of Suna.

She inhaled the air deeply, enjoying the scent of the sea salt.

_I'm going to miss Suna…_

***********************************************************************************************************

Kiba, Eva, Baki, and Kankuro were at the ship docks, searching relentlessly for Sheeva. Sheeva's Kikai felt a strong amount of her chakra nearby, and notified him about it.

It came from the ship next to him, and they ran for it, rushing onto the deck. The First Mate stopped them, and asked what they were doing.

"Have you seen this girl?" Kankuro asked, holding up a picture of Sheeva.

"Uhh… Yeah. She was here just a second ago. What are your names?"

"This is Eva, Baki, and Kankuro. I'm Kiba. We're here to take her back to Sunagakure village." He explained.

***********************************************************************************************************

Sheeva's ears picked up at the sound of their names, and she looked at the decks below. She jumped down, showing herself for who she really was.

"Kiba, what the hell are you doing?" She asked. He stared back at her, hate in his eyes.

"Taking you back. Whether I have to kick your ass or not, that's up to you." He growled. She smiled.

"You think that I'm going to let you waltz in and demand that I go back? No…" She shook her head, angry. He sighed.

"If that s the way it's going to be…" He muttered, standing in a fighting stance. She did the same. Everyone on the boat stared, confused.

Baki ordered them to back off.

"This will be a hard battle." Kankuro muttered.

"I understand, sir." Eva muttered.

Sheeva was first to attack, trying to punch him in the stomach. He blocked it and jabbed her in the neck with chakra-laced fingers. She stumbled, since the impact cut off her blood supply to her brain.

She rushed back for him; spinning on her heel and kicking his foot and making him fall. She then jumped up and kicked him in the forehead, making him fall on his back.

"Give up. I'm too good for you." She demanded. He stood back up and sent out a wave of his Kikaichu. She formed a few quick seals and hissed; fire shot from her mouth, torching the beetles. They fell to the deck, roasted. The weather around the boat began to change, the wind picked up, and it began to rain heavily. The waves crashed against the sides of the boat, making it rock and toss and turn recklessly. Sheeva lost her footing, and stumbled, hitting her head on the side of the mast. Another rock of the boat sent her towards the edge, and she fell over, catching onto the railing.

"Shit!" She cursed.

Kiba watched as she struggled with the railing, the water making her hands slip.

"Kiba!" Eva called.

He still continued to stare. She held on with one hand now. A violent throw of the boat sent her crashing into the deep sea, and she screamed as she fell into the cold water.

A thunderclap brought Kiba to his senses, and he ran to the side.

"Kiba, what the hell are you doing?!" Eva yelled at him.

"She can't swim!" He shouted, jumping over the edge and diving in after her. He found her, and brought her to the surface. She was unconscious. Wave after wave swept over them, and he fought to stay afloat. The boat was pushed further and further away from them, and he swam with everything he had to reach the boat.

He watched helplessly as the boat went further and further away from them.

He searched for land; that was the only thing that could help them now. He felt his feet hit sand, and he struggled to carry both her and himself onto the shore. He immediately went to her side and shook her. She wasn't responding. He pressed on her stomach, trying to get her to get her to breathe. It took him three times, but she was finally able to breathe. She coughed, puking up the salt water. As soon as Kiba came into focus, she gasped and stood.

"What the hell?" She shouted.

He stood too.

"What? I just saved your life." He growled. She scowled.

"Where are we?" She asked.

"I don't know. A beach, somewhere." He stated, sitting back down and crossing his arms.

"On an island? Great. This is the last thing I wanted to happen." She huffed, sitting back down. He sighed, annoyed.

"What happened? In the greenhouse?" He asked. She glared at him.

"Like you care. You didn't want to listen the first time." She sneered. He slightly glanced at her, and then sighed.

"I'm sorry…I was just—

--what? Angry? You think that I wasn't angry either?" She interrupted. He grimaced.

"Who's Naomi? You mentioned her before." He asked. She stared at him for a bit, disbelieving.

"Now you want to talk?" She asked, crossing her arms as well. He glanced back at her.

"Yeah." He scoffed. She sighed and sat down, far away from him.

"Naomi's my demon…I'm her host." She muttered. He stared at her.

"Host? Like…what Gaara and Naruto used to be?" He questioned. She nodded.

"Yeah. Except…she took control of me when I was asleep in the greenhouse, and that's why…that's why I took advantage of you like that." She admitted. He sighed, and nodded.

"I get it. My Kikaichu sometimes rebel against me." He stated.

They remained silent for a while, listening and watching the waves crashing along the shore.

"Kiba." She said, catching his attention.

"Why did you jump in after me?" She asked.

He stayed silent for a while.

"I…"

* * *

Tsk tsk tsk.... don'cha just HATE drop offs? Cliffs, whatever. They still mean the same thing.

I'm gonna try to sleep. (On Spring Break, what the hell?)

Guten Abend (Good Night)


	34. April Fools Day!

This was cute, and funny at the same time. my parents keep teasing me about it. oh, well. who cares? i enjoyed writing it.

* * *

Chapter 29

Kiba sighed and stared at the stars, gathering what was left of his courage. She wrapped her arms around her chest and hugged herself, shivering from the cold. She was staring at something on the other side of the beach, and didn't notice that he had removed his coat until she felt it around her shoulders.

She snapped her head back to find that Kiba's face was right in front of hers, and that he was looking at her with his eyes, no sunglasses hiding the extremely light shade of brown. He wrapped one arm around her waist, pulling her into his lap, running his fingers lightly along her cheek.

"I jumped after you because I love you." He stated, leaning forward and brushing his lips against hers. She froze, mind crumbling into a heap of stupidity. She managed to take in a gasp of air, and kissed him back, relaxing and seeming to fall into his kind embrace.

She barely registered that she was pushed onto her back. The sea water lapped at their feet. Kiba paused above her to gaze at her. He smiled and moved a few strands of hair out of her face.

"You're beautiful, Sheeva. You always have been." He whispered, kissing her again, a little more forceful and full.

He broke away and placed small, light kisses on her cheek, and then on her neck. His Kikaichu were buzzing and jittering with excitement, and he didn't bother trying to control them—he wanted to enjoy this moment as much as he could.

Even Naomi had risen from her long slumber to see what all the fuss was about with Sheeva—her host's body temperature was high, and her heartbeat elevated, but she wasn't in a battle or panicking. The adrenaline running through her veins held no hint of fear. Instead, it held hints of… passion. Naomi wanted to interfere, but remembered that she was supposed to be mad at Sheeva, so she slipped back into her "cave" and went back to sleep.

Sheeva hadn't realized Naomi's presence. She was now focused on the intensity of the feelings of Kiba's mouth against the skin of her neck, his lips, his tongue, the small but satisfying bite of his teeth…

He was enjoying each moment of this, from the soft, smooth skin writhing beneath him to the soft breaths of air she took. She giggled when he poked her in the side playfully, and rolled over, pinning him down. She kissed him lightly, and then took his hitai-ate off of his head, kissing his forehead.

"Your eyes are so cool. It's a shame that you hide them." She commented. He smiled.

"Just something my dad always does." He replied.

She kissed him again, intertwining their fingers and biting his ear. She kissed his neck as well, smirking. She laughed as a few kikaichu crept out to crawl on her, examining what had aroused the change in their master. He flipped her over, and held her hands above her head, kissing her passionately.

Something flashed in his eye, and he broke away from her, sitting up, staring at it. He held a hand to block out the light.

"What the hell are you doing to my daughter, Aburame?!" Kankuro's voice shouted out in the dark. Sheeva sat up, shocked.

"Dad? What the hell are you doing here?" She asked, standing quickly.

"I--I--we were just—I didn't mean to—

--I saw damn well what you meant to do!" He barked, shielding Sheeva from his view.

"STOP!" Sheeva shouted. Kankuro shined the light on her. The others came running, including the First Mate and Captain.

"Kiba wasn't trying to hurt me, ok?! We were talking, and things turned around a bit. Shut up and calm down!" She yelled at him. He stared at her, and then turned to Kiba.

"Is that what really happened?" He asked.

"Yes, sir." Kiba's voice cracked. Kankuro shot him an evil look and then turned around grumbling to himself about "perverted teenagers".

Sheeva helped Kiba stand, and brushed him off.

"Sorry. Dad can be mean sometimes." She stated. When Eva took a closer look, she noticed that Kiba's hair was ruffled, and Sheeva was wearing his coat. She began to laugh out loud, unable to control it. She clutched at her sides, and fell to the ground at her knees, rolling around on the beach.

"This is awesome! You got caught! You got caught! Ha Ha Ha!!" She yelled. Sheeva sighed and began to walk away. Baki smirked as she passed. She caught it, and shook her head, embarrassed.

He followed her, and strolled beside her.

"Took you two long enough." He sneered. She sighed.

"Go get laid, Baki." She retorted, running to find the boat.

He sighed and shook his head, snorting as he placed his hands on his hips.

"Whatever…" He watched as Kankuro passed, then Eva, smirking to herself.

"Nairobi." He called. She stopped and turned.

"Yeah?"

"Don't piss with Sheeva. She'll just tell you to go get laid." He warned. She held back a laugh, and nodded.

"Ok, sir." She smiled, and then left.

Baki caught Kiba as he walked by.

"Let's hope this doesn't happen again—Sheeva running away, I mean." He stated. Kiba nodded.

"It won't." He replied. Baki nodded, and slapped him on the back.

"You should have seen the look on your face—it was priceless!" He sneered. Kiba said nothing and continued to walk away. He was trying to still the frantic beating of his heart, and trying to not shake at the same time. Baki stared at the moon for a little bit, sighing as he felt the familiar pain of loneliness. Everyone had someone they loved, except for him. He smiled as he thought of the Junín that he had met when he was training the Sand Siblings. Her red eyes had captivated him, and they stayed with him even now. He remembered her curvy hips, beautiful black wavy hair, and the big breasts. He frowned and shook it out of his head, and headed back to the boat.

******************************************************************************

Eva skipped across the deck, and stood by Sheeva, who was staring out at the ocean.

"What's up?" She chirped. Sheeva stared at her.

"You're unusually happy. What happened to you? Prozac?" She asked. Eva snorted.

"No. I'm just happy that you're not leaving anymore, and I still think it's funny that you and Kiba got caught. That was priceless." She laughed. Sheeva shot her a dirty look.

"Shut up, Eva." She walked away. Eva frowned.

She turned and tried to find what Sheeva had been searching for, but gave up after a good ten minutes. She checked her watch for the date. March 31. Her eyes lit up with mischief.

_Tomorrow is April Fools! How'd she know about the Prozac? OH! I'm gonna get her! This is gonna be great!_

She skipped across the deck to find Baki and Kankuro.

******************************************************************************

Sheeva stirred to the smell of bacon wafting through the bunks. She smiled and sat up, mouth watering.

"Who's the sinner that cooked bacon?" She asked, leaping out of the bunks and running to the kitchen, where Kankuro was cooking.

"Bacon and omelets, kid. That's a kick ass breakfast right there."

Eva butted in, popping up out of nowhere.

"Good morning! Coffee?" She asked, holding up a glass of coffee. Sheeva blinked and raised an eyebrow.

"Ok…" She muttered and took the coffee, sipping on it. She made a face.

"I need creamer and sugar. Lots of it." She demanded. Eva took the cup back and began to spoon sugar and creamer into it, stirring it around and handing it back. Sheeva sighed and took a drink. She sighed again.

"Wow. That's a good coffee. Thanks." She went to turn back around, and bumped into Baki. He nodded, and took a cup and poured himself a cup of coffee.

"All we need is Aburame, and we're a full house." He muttered. As if on cue, Kiba walked in and stretched, grabbing a cup and filling it with clean water. He downed it, and got another glass, downing it as well.

"Morning…" He walked away.

They stared, confused.

"What's with him?" Baki asked.

"Oh, he's probably just mad. I woke him up in the middle of the night—I accidentally stepped on his hand trying to get to the bathroom." Eva replied. Sheeva stared at her, mouth agape.

"What?"

"He was on the floor. He rolled out of the hammock he was in." Eva laughed. Sheeva shrugged.

"Whatever…" She finished off her coffee and walked out after him.

She found him in the crow's nest, hands in his pockets with his usual cold stare.

"What's up?" She asked. He looked at her, then went back to gazing at the sea.

"Something's wrong. Back at home. I don't know what it is, and that bothers me." He whispered.

She leaned against the railing.

"It'll be ok. We'll be home in a week or two." She stated. He took a deep breath.

"That's what's bugging me. Something about returning home." He muttered. She didn't catch it, and asked him to repeat himself. He told her to never mind, and left. She frowned and crossed her arms, staring out at the sea.

_What is wrong with you?_ She pondered. She sat down in the chair on the crow's nest, and let the rocking of the boat rock her to sleep.

******************************************************************************

As they set foot on the beach, they breathed in the scent of the air, sighing in relief.

"I can't _wait_ to get home… the sand, the greenhouse, and god, the heat! It's freezing here!" Eva smiled. Sheeva raced out to meet her, a large grin on her face.

"WHOOO HOOO!!! FREEDOM!!!" She screeched at the top of her lungs.

"What the hell did you do to her?" Kiba asked, rubbing his temples on the sides of his forehead. He stepped off the boat, and nearly tripped as he stood on the ground.

Kankuro stretched and laughed as he watched his daughter jumping around exstatically. Baki elbowed him.

"Have fun dealing with that later, you know?" He joked. Kankuro nodded.

"Yeah."

They started on their long journey towards Suna, trying to ignore the random outbursts from Sheeva. Eva cracked up when she finally told Sheeva and Kiba what the three of them had done. Kiba stared at them for a minute, then chuckled.

"That's not nice." He laughed.

He backed off as Sheeva ran past, screaming. He waited and grabbed her arms as she ran past, dragging her with him as he began walking back to Suna. Eva smiled and trailed behind, attempting to hold back Kankuro from murdering the poor boy. Baki just grinned.

* * *

well, i definitely know who'll be paired with Baki. but who will i pair with Kankuro? He's lonely, and a frickin Bachelor for cryng out loud. i feel bad for hm, yeah?

lols

have fun with the next one--it's a doozy.

ja ne.


	35. Aging and Heroin and Neurotoxins, oh my!

**On the strange meter of 1 to ten, this one hit a 73. (At least, for me.)**

**i thought about Killing off Temari. But no.**

**read and review, even if it's just to say "Eat Monkey Turds and Die", yeah? Please?**

**I"M BORED HERE!!!! I NEED OPINIONS!!!!!!!!**

**Damn...**

* * *

Chapter 30

Kiba instantly felt something incredibly wrong as soon as he stepped foot in Suna. His kikaichu noted the wrong immediately, and it was in his home.

"There's something wrong in my house." Kiba hissed, taking off for the house. Sheeva took off after him, trying to keep close on his heels. A familiar chakra hung about, and it was getting stronger as she neared the Aburame house.

"Kiba, stop!" She screamed. He halted, and turned. She ran into him, and stood back up.

"What?" He asked, rather haughtily. She walked up to the door, and tried to place who's chakra signature it was.

"Mayuri…" She whispered. She barged in, drawing a kunai and looking in on the scene before them. Hinata was being held in the air, glowing. Mayuri was draining the life out of the poor woman, and when he saw Sheeva, he dropped Hinata and threw her across the room. She hit the wall and fell to the floor.

"Mom!" Kiba yelled, running for her. Sheeva felt her stomach drop from fear.

"Well. Sheeva… what on earth are you doing here?" He asked. She glared at him, and stared at the damage he had caused. Shino was lying on the floor, holding a wound in his abdomen, trying to back away. Hinata was on the floor, shaking and sobbing, and Kiba was hugging her, trying to calm her down.

"Who else is here, Mayuri?" She hissed, not taking her eyes off of him. He chuckled.

"Ichigo was here. I sent him after the fan bitch." He smiled. She went to reach around her for Karasu, but then remembered that she didn't have him. She also didn't have her fan, or her sand. She gasped and stared back at him, trying to remain calm.

"Aw. Little Sheeva doesn't have her weapons. This must be my lucky day! I get to grow twenty years younger!!" He sneered with glee. She glared at him, and then rushed for him, trying to cut into his throat with the kunai. He blocked it and jabbed her in the side with his hand as she passed, making her fall to the floor, coughing. He kicked her into the air by her stomach, and caught her by the throat, holding her in front of him. She kicked him as hard as she could in the ribs, making him drop her. She then pinned him down and began to punch him relentlessly in the face. She stopped for a moment, breathing heavily. He laughed and melted into a pile of pink ooze, and then reformed as a younger male, roughly 25. He laughed and withdrew a short katana, slicing at her head. She backed off quickly, avoiding the attacks. Kiba grabbed a katana that he had bought at a convention off the wall and threw it to her.

She caught it, and unsheathed it just in time to parry his attack that would have cut off her arm.

"I love your eyes when they're full of fear or hate! They're so rare…" He commented. She ducked as he sliced at her head, then screamed as the blade whipped past her nose, barely touching it.

"Your hair is pretty too—that deep black tone, and when it's in the light, it almost looks tinted with blue…" He sneered, swiping up high. She backed her head away, but the blade cut off a lock of her hair, and it fell to the ground. She jumped to the left to dodge as he sliced down to her right. He then hit her in the chest, making her fall backwards into a chair. He stopped, staring at her.

He stabbed the chair right next to her head and she screamed. He laughed maniacally as he did it again. He did a sign with one hand, and she felt something tie around her wrists, yanking them back and holding tight to the chair. She kicked him in the knee, then kicking his chin with her other foot, knocking him back. He growled and formed the same sign with his other hand, tying her feet down tp the legs of the chair.

"Let me go, you bastard." She demanded. He just laughed.

"No. Now that I've got you trapped here, I'll just have a little fun." He sneered. He took out a needle, and filled it with a clear liquid.

"Know what this is?" He asked. She glared at him.

"It's pure heroin, with a few drops of a rather powerful neurotoxin." He stated. She still gave him a death stare. He laughed as he clutched her arm in his long, bony hand, cutting off the circulation. He then inserted the needle, injecting the liquid into her arm. She whimpered at the pain, and tried to push him off, or better yet, get out of the trap she was in. He laughed and took off the cloak he was wearing.

Kiba, outraged, took another katana (he had three) and ran to cut the man's head off. He failed miserably as Mayuri threw him back, throwing a few shuriken and pinning his clothes to the wall. Kiba struggled to get out of the situation, but Mayuri cut him short by taking him hair and throwing him down, making him hit his head on the floor hard enough to knock him out. Mayuri let him drop, and then turned his attention on Sheeva.

"You know, my father was a pedophile too." He stated, sticking out his tongue and running it along her collarbone. It was long, snake-like, and purple. She glared at him making sure to keep eye contact to vent her anger. They were yellow with brown dots, also looking like a snake's. His hair was black, with blonde tips.

"You won't get away with this, you bastard." She hissed. He shrugged.

"Bet I will. As I have before. And I'll do it again." He murmured as he lifted her shirt and squeezed her breast. Her eyes turned to slits of anger, trying to mask the fear she really felt. She knew what he got off on, and wasn't about to let him if she could help it.

He took a piece of rope out of his pocket, and after a good struggle, managed to tie it around her mouth. She felt woozy, and her body felt weird, especially in places it shouldn't. He bit her neck, hard, drawing blood. She squeezed her eyes shut as he chuckled and lapped it up.

_NAOMI!!! HELP! PLEASE!! _She pleaded. Naomi was having complications of her own, trying to deal with both the heroin and neurotoxin.

Mayuri undid her jeans, pulling them down, and shoved his hand between her legs. She squirmed, trying to fight him off. He cackled and took out a kunai, dragging the sharp end along her stomach. She screamed from the somewhat forgotten pain. Shino had fainted from loss of blood, Kiba was unconscious, and Hinata was weakened from having her energy and life sucked out of her.

_NO!_ She screamed at him, tears streaming down her face. He ignored her and continued.

She kept trying to push him away, but he held her fast, laughing sadistically as he stabbed her again.

"You deserve this, you know." He hissed in her ear.

"You escaped. Koji isn't happy. He beat the hell out of me and blamed me for it." He stated. She turned her head away, trying to shut out the words, which hit deeper than the blade.

"Renoah wasn't happy. But he wasn't surprised either." He explained. He heard a few of the sand ninja's voices, and quickly pulled away, throwing on his cloak. He ran out the back door, disappearing without a trace.

She struggled to stand back up, dizzy. Kankuro ran in, and just as she fell, caught her. She nearly puked on him, and he made a face of disgust.

"Sheeva, what happened?" He asked, shaking her lightly.

"Temari. She's in trouble…" She muttered as best she could. She collapsed, straining to stay focused. She turned her head and puked again, choking as some of it went down her wind pipe.

"Akatsuki, Kankuro! It's… they were here. You go; I'll take care of Sheeva. Go, now!" Hinata ordered. Baki stared at the scene. Shino was passed out, hand cradled over a wound, blood in a small pile next to him on the floor. Kiba was unconscious, a katana in hand and shuriken stuck in his clothing. He looked to Sheeva, and saw that she had been beaten, and that she had also been molested as well.

"Where is he? Sheeva? Where's the man that did this?" He asked.

"Gone. He left out of the back door." She replied. He ran out the back door.

There was no trace of the man. Baki sighed and went back into the house. He lifted Shino and set off for the hospital. Hinata settled to helping Sheeva calm down after picking up her son and setting him on the couch.

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Kankuro reached Temari's apartment, breathing heavily and heart pounding in his chest. The door was burst open, and he ran in. there were papers thrown about, dishes were broken, and the paintings and mirrors were crooked, some were even off of their hooks altogether.

"Temari?!" He shouted out. He heard a thump in the next room, and rushed down the hall, bursting open the door. He rushed into the room, and came face to face with a boy with red hair and robes, pointing a kunai at him. He screamed like a girl, and so did the other boy.

"Gaara! Temari! Temari? Oh, god…" He went to their sister's side, shaking her lightly.

"She's not waking up! She's alive, but she won't wake up!" Gaara exclaimed. He was losing his mind, and he wasn't sure if he was still in the Genjutsu that had been placed on him by the stranger or not. Temari was lying on her bed, head to the side, and eyes closed. She had puked, and there was a small dot of blood on her arm.

Kankuro held his fingers to her neck, checking for a pulse. He sighed in relief as he felt a slight pulse through her veins. Gaara looked up.

"She's ok?"

Kankuro nodded, but jumped when she grabbed his hand.

"Shika… you are such a bastard… zzz…" She frowned in her sleep, but then her expression softened.

"Mmm… No…" She muttered. Kankuro stared at her, mortified. She was still asleep, and… dreaming about… well, something was amusing her… He grabbed Gaara by the wrist and dragged him out of the room.

"She's fine. Let's let her sleep." He murmured. Gaara shrugged and let her be.

"I have to go check on Sheeva." He stated. Gaara looked worried.

"Oh, god. She was attacked too?" He asked. Kankuro nodded and took off, Gaara following behind.

They reached the Aburame house within a few minutes. Hinata welcomed them, using a crutch to steady herself.

"Mrs. Hyuuga, sit. You need to rest. You're hurt."

"See to Sheeva first. He injected her with a drug. I didn't catch the name, but she's not right. She's been puking violently since you left." She demanded. Kankuro went to head for the living room.

"She is in the bathroom." She called, nearly falling. Gaara helped her to stay standing, and then helped to sit her down. He then picked up Kiba and carried him to his room, setting him on his bed. He then went to the bathroom to check on Sheeva and Kankuro. Sheeva had her head in the toilet, and Kankuro was holding her hair back.

"What did he inject her with?" Gaara asked, leaning against the doorframe.

"Heroin. It might be the same person who attacked Temari." Kankuro explained.

"No. wasn't…*Burp* eww… Mayuri. It was Ichi…Ichigo." Sheeva managed to say before returning to the toilet and heaving up another bit of stomach acid. Kankuro reached up and flushed the toilet, handing her a wet towel to wipe her face.

"Is Temari ok?" She asked. Kankuro nodded.

"She's asleep." He said.

"Then Ichigo didn't give her Heroin." She stated.

"What is Heroin?" They asked.

"It's an experimental drug that Mayuri was using…I'm not sure if that was what he used that made me hallucinate, or what, but either way, it scared the hell out of me… the stuff that I saw, that I went through… no one should ever have to go through that again…" She stated, fanning herself.

"It's really hot…" She muttered. Her eyes went wide as she remembered that she had also been injected with an aphrodisiac, which was why she felt so hot and… for lack of a better word, horny.

"What was Temari doing?" She asked, leaning her forehead against the wall. The cold stone helped a little.

"She was asleep. Why?"

"She didn't have heroin then…that's good. What she was probably injected with, that sucks."

"What else were you injected with?" Gaara asked. Sheeva turned to him, and sighed.

"That's just it. I don't know. But he said it was a neurotoxin. And if it was, then…"

"I have to get to Temari." She stated. She tried to take a step, but fell to her knees. She was shaking horribly. Naomi had finally gotten control, and pushed out her wings, tearing the fabric of Sheeva's shirt. She forced her to stand, and ran out the door, taking off into the sky. She couldn't fly very well since she couldn't control the body from the heroin dose.

_Naomi…why do they do this?_ Sheeva asked. Naomi said nothing—she was trying to keep her balance, but failed miserably as she fell to the left, crashing into a building. She fell on top of a blanket used for shade to break her fall. An angry shop owner ran out to yell at her, but then stopped as he saw the condition she was in. Naomi had managed to withdraw her wings, so the owner hadn't seen them, but he did see that she was twitching uncontrollably. He sat her up and asked her what was wrong.

"Poi…poison. Hos-spi…" her head jerked violently and she rolled over, trying to control herself. She was in a cold sweat, breathing heavily and eyesight blurring. The shop owner brought her into his shop, where he had a table for patients. He set her on it, and called into the back.

"Volkovia! We need help!"

A scrawny girl, maybe ten, ran out of the back, carrying a bag of items. She ran to his side.

"She's poisoned. Do you know what with, kid?" He asked. She wheezed in some air, and tried to speak. She could only mouth the words "Heroin and Neurotoxin" before she let out a scream, squirming and shaking to get rid of it.

"I need an intravenous of water, immediately." He demanded. Volkovia ran to the back, running back out with a bag of water on a roller and some tubes in her hands. The man held Sheeva's arms down as the girl stuck the needles into her arms, and then strapped them to the side of the bed to keep her from resisting.

Sheeva started to panic, but the girl stood on a stool and tried to calm her down.

"Volkovia, you stay here. I'm going to try to find the sedatives." He ordered, running into the back. He came back out a few minutes later with a bottle of yellow liquid and a needle in a bag. He hurriedly undid the needle, turned over the bottle, and stuck the needle tip in the lid. He drew some of the sedative, measured it, tapped it, and squeezed out the air. He then injected it into another tube that led to her arm.

"Find Temari." Sheeva told the girl.

"Find the Kazekage…" She whispered. Volkovia stared at her dad.

"Why?" He asked. She tried to hold open her eyes.

"She's… hurt. Like. Me…" She muttered before passing out. Volkovia nodded, and ran out the front door.

Someone knocked her over as he ran by. Another stopped to pick her up—it was Gaara.

"Kazekage-sama!" She pulled at his robes, pointing into the doctor's office. He peered inside, and ran in as he saw Sheeva.

"What happened to her?" He ran back out, calling after Kankuro. He stopped, and ran back.

"Go get Temari, bring her back here." He ordered. Kankuro nodded without question, and ran to her house.

Gaara ran back into the office.

He set a hand on her forehead, trying to locate Naomi. He found her, but she couldn't respond—the sedative hit her too. _She must have been half in control when he put the sedative in…_

"Is this your daughter, Kazekage-sama?" Gaara shook his head.

"My niece. My brother's daughter. She was attacked." He replied.

"Do you know what she was injected with exactly? She said heroin and neurotoxin." The doctor asked, putting on a stethoscope and checking her breathing and heart rate. He blinked, confused.

"She has two sets of heartbeats." He said, confused. Gaara's eyes widened a little.

_Naomi's attaching… too quickly! Oh, god…_

"We'll take her back when she wakes up. Do you know when that will be?" Gaara asked, trying to remain calm.

The doctor sighed and shrugged.

"I just put in the sedative. It could be four hours, it could be twelve. It depends on how long it takes to run through her body. But with the H2O IV, it won't—well, shouldn't take too long." He assessed. Gaara nodded.

"Excuse me. I need to think. Is there somewhere I can sit?" He asked. The doctor nodded.

"She broke the shade, but that's no matter. It get's broken all the time. Here. Sit here while we put it back up. Volkovia?" He called, walking outside. Gaara walked outside too, helping them to put the blanket back up.

The doctor went back into the office, and took a blood sample. Stationing Volkovia to watch over Sheeva, he went into the back and began to process the blood.

Gaara sat down in the folding chair that had been provided. _Naomi's attaching to her host too soon. But why? She shouldn't have done this until Sheeva was older…maybe… maybe something happened back in the Akatsuki lair that caused the process to speed up. Then if that happened, we need to get Naomi out of her NOW._

"Volkovia?!" The doctor shouted, sounding alarmed.

"What? What?!" She asked, knowing that when her father sounded like this, there was definitely something wrong.

"Her Neurotransmitter levels are too high!" He shouted as he ran out, trying to put some liquid in a syringe. Gaara looked up.

"What does that mean?" Gaara asked. The doctor began to ramble off about Endogenous toxicity, and the effects of having too high of a transmission level. Volkovia slapped her father on the cheek, breaking him out of his ramble.

"Dad, calm down, or we'll lose her!" She commanded. He nodded and stuck the needle into her arm, injecting on the left and on the right with a small dose of whatever it was.

"What do you mean, 'lose her'?" Gaara asked. Kankuro walked in carrying Temari, confused as to what was going on. The doctor calmed down and sat them both on a couch. Kankuro sat Temari down next to them, and let her head rest on Gaara's shoulder.

"Whatever it was that she was poisoned with has raised her Neurotransmitter Glutamate levels. This is the toxin that helps aid with sending messages throughout the body. In the neurotic synapses, they receive a message to release the toxin, which helps to carry the message. Anyway, something has caused the toxins to be release more than normal, and… basically, her body is poisoning itself, and eventually, her body will die. It's called Apoptosis. I just put in a chemical that will hopefully reverse the rapid release of the glutamate, so she should be fine once the drugs are out of her system." He explained. Gaara and Kankuro were staring open mouthed, utterly confused.

"So… she'll be ok, right?" Kankuro asked. Volkovia nodded.

"She'll be fine. Who's this? What—oh, this must be Temari." She assessed. She went to the back and dragged out another table, and Kankuro lifted her up and put her on it. The doctor took out another vial and needle, and took a sample of Temari's blood. He hurried to the back to examine it as well.

Gaara sighed, and leaned against the back of the couch.

Kankuro yawned, and rested his head on his fist.

Volkovia rubbed her eyes, and went up a flight of stairs.

The clock ticked continuously, lulling all three into a deep troubled snooze.

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**This is by far the longest chapter i have posted. 6 pages of it. and Altogether, the entire story is like, 78 pages long now. WOW!!**

**getting close to the 128 page marker! (That's the most pages i have written, but not the most chapters. the most is 20. this is my 30th. awesome.**

**review please!**

**ja ne**


	36. All Hell Breaks Loose

**This one made ME cry. that's all i have to say.**

**Review, even if to say "Is this you idea of a sick joke?!"**

**yeah. Ja ne.**

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Chapter 31

Kiba stirred from his unconscious state. Hinata was hovering over him, looking quite aged. He went to sit up quickly, but she held him back, letting him sit up slowly.

"Where's Sheeva? Where's that bastard? Where's—

--slowly, Kiba. The man left. Your father is in the hospital. Baki took him. Sheeva… I don't know where she is, but Kankuro and Gaara are with her. She'll be okay." She whispered. Kiba stared at his mother. She had aged at least ten years. She had streaks of grey in her once black hair, and crow's feet around her eyes. Her eyes were lighter, as if she was blind. Her hands were bony, the veins popped out. He began to cry.

"Mom…" He hugged her tightly, crying into her shoulder. She patted him on the back.

"It's ok, Kiba, it's ok." She whispered. He shook his head.

"No, mom, it's not ok! He hurt you, he hurt Sheeva, he hurt dad! He did this to you! And I couldn't stop him!" He shouted.

"Kiba Aburame, listen to me!" She shouted, shaking him. He stopped, shocked.

"Don't blame yourself. The man was an S-class criminal. All of the Akatsuki are. You and Sheeva weren't any match for him; nor were we. Now… let's go find your father." She stated, helping him to stand. He wouldn't have that, and got up himself. He limped as he walked, and when his mother tried to help him, he refused. They slowly made their way to the hospital, and asked for Shino Aburame at the front desk.

"Room 259. Are you relatives?" She asked. Kiba nodded.

"I'm his son. This is my mom—his wife." He stated.

She nodded and let them through.

They made their way to the room, and Kiba felt bad as he saw that his father was in the ICU unit. Baki was standing outside the door.

"Is he taking visitors?" Kiba asked. Baki shook his head.

"Hinata…are you okay?" He asked. She nodded.

"I'm fine… I would… like to talk to my husband alone, if that's ok?" She asked. Kiba nodded. He pulled up a chair for her to sit in.

"Baki. Where's Sheeva?" Kiba asked.

"I don't know. What happened?" He asked.

"Akatsuki. She called him… Mayuri. That was the guy's name." Kiba snarled.

"He drained my mother's age and made himself younger."

Baki nodded.

"I remember him… he usually targets women. He changes his appearance so often; it's hard to tell what he looks like at any given time. He drains people of their age, appearance, and sometimes, their techniques or Kekkai Genkai." He stated. Hinata sighed.

"What else do you know about him?" Kiba demanded to know. Baki stared at him for a while.

"He was a doctor before he changed. And his father… well, his father was Orochimaru, one of the worst villains before you were born. Sasuke Uchiha of Konohagakure Village was the one to defeat him. We haven't been able to capture or kill Mayuri yet." He replied, seeing that he had no choice but to inform him of the missing nin. He sighed and stared off into space, thinking about something. Kiba asked him what was wrong, but he grunted.

"Not your concern." He replied. He leaned against the wall as the faces of his previous team appeared in his head. They were all very close, like a family. Because of the war, all three had lost their parents, and lived with foster parents. Baki had been the same, and felt like a "father" to the three. But on a mission, one of the boys was murdered by Mayuri, and the woman raped brutally by both Mayuri and his partner while they were forced to watch. The sick bastard had tied them to a tree, and injected them with a chemical that prohibited the use of Jutsu or any chakra. He knew what Sheeva went through, at least to some extent.

Joana had given birth, and being too weak to carry on, died shortly after…Baki still blamed himself for the death of both her and her husband. He remembered, trying to convince Ibiza not to jump off the side of the cliff…

"_Ibiza, don't do it! Are you insane? You've still got your daughter here! Are you just going to let her suffer without a family for the rest of her life?!"_

"_Baki. She's got her mother's eyes. Her hair. Everything I see in her, I saw in her mother. I cannot keep going like this… to madness! NO!_" _Baki couldn't get to him quick enough before he raised the gun to his neck and pulled the trigger, blood spattering out over the edge. His body fell, and slammed into the sea. _

_Baki sighed and walked shamefully back to Suna, past his own house, and to the young girl's apartment to alarm her of the news…but first, he transformed into his own father, to hide himself._

He set his hand on his forehead, trying to keep back the tears.

"Is there a Baki and Kiba Aburame here?" A nurse asked. They turned at the sound of their names.

"That's us." Baki announced.

"The Kazekage is on the phone. He wanted to talk to the both of you." She said. Baki nodded and followed her to the front desk. He picked up the phone.

"Sir."

"Sheeva and Temari are okay. I'd better talk to the both of you in person though. Do you know that doctor's house by the weapon shop? We're here. We'll talk to you there. It's important, so hurry up." Gaara demanded, and then hung up. Baki sighed and hung up the phone.

"Come on, Aburame. We're leaving to go find Sheeva and Temari."

They walked out of the hospital and took off at a run, the setting sun beating on their backs.

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Huffing, they made it to the doctor's house, where Sheeva and Temari were resting. Kiba caught his breath when he saw that she had an IV in her arm.

"What happened?" He asked, reaching out a hand to move a strand of hair out of her face. He saw the part where her hair had been cut by the katana.

"She was poisoned. She'll be ok." Kankuro stated, standing next to his sister.

"What else did he do to her?" Baki asked.

"I don't know what else. But when he knocked me out, she was tied to the chair." Kiba replied to Baki's question. He felt the rage building in his body, but forced it down. Gaara picked up on it.

"Do you think he…

"No. She'd be in worse condition." Baki cut in. He stared at Temari and Sheeva, and took a deep breath.

"I need to find Eva. She'll want to know where Sheeva is." He muttered before leaving. Kiba stopped him.

"You left her alone? Under an attack?" He barked. Baki sighed.

"I told her to hide."

"What?" Kiba asked, angry.

"Never mind." He growled, shaking from anger as he left, disappearing in a cloud of smoke.

Gaara set a hand on Kiba's shoulder.

"You'll understand someday. He has secrets, just like the rest of us." He stated.

Temari began to wake, blinking and trying to move.

"What the hell happened? Where am I?" She asked. Kankuro and Gaara smiled, and hugged their sister.

"Thank God you're okay!" They shouted. She gave them a confused look, and, upon seeing the IV in her arm, began to freak.

"What the hell is this?!" She shouted, ripping it out. She jumped off of the table, and stumbled for a bit. The doctor caught her and told her to sit down. She then saw Sheeva, and flew into a fit.

"What happened to her?" She yelled.

"Temari, sit. NOW." Gaara ordered, giving her an evil look. She cowered, and sat.

"She's been poisoned. And so have you."

"When you have to pee, let me know. We need a urine sample." Volkovia butted in, handing her a sanitary cup.

"What was I poisoned with?" She asked, confused.

"Just a sedative, thankfully…Sheeva was almost killed." Kankuro whispered. Kiba's ear caught this, and he turned, alarmed.

Temari stared at them separately, studying their faces. They were dead-serious.

"Who? Who did this?" She asked.

"Mayuri. An Akatsuki. He came along and—

--hold that. I have to pee." She announced, taking the cup. Volkovia pointed out the bathroom, and she rushed in. She emerged a few minutes later, handing the kid the cup and sitting back down.

"What does Mayuri look like? The name sounds familiar." She asked. Kankuro shrugged.

"He had black hair and a long fucking tongue." Kiba stated, taking the glass of water that he was offered. She blinked, and stared off into the distance.

"Oh, my god. Where's Baki?" She asked.

"He went to find Eva. Why?" Gaara asked, confused. Temari took a deep breath, and began to explain what had happened.

"A couple of years ago, he took his team on a mission to spy on the Akatsuki. It was a dangerous one… when he got back, one of the kids was dead, the other was fucked up mentally, and the girl was four months pregnant. Turns out she had been raped by Mayuri and his partner at the time…Anyway, she died when she gave birth. Joana Ruzika… She married her teammate, regardless of the fact that he wasn't stable still… She became Joana Nairobi."

There was the sound of shattering glass. Kiba had his mouth hanging open.

"Eva. Eva's her child…" He stated.

Temari nodded.

"Her husband committed suicide when she was four. Baki unfortunately saw the entire thing, and confided in me about it. We've been taking turns watching over Eva since. But we always changed our appearance, so that she didn't know it was us. If you tell anyone about this, we'll have to kill you. And we don't want that to happen."

Kiba felt a light tug at his coat from behind, and turned around. Sheeva had her eyes open, and was trying to smile.

"Hi." She whispered weakly. He smiled and hugged her, trying not to hurt her.

"Temari?" She asked. Kiba nodded.

"She's ok." He said, moving out of the way so that she could see her.

Sheeva smiled the best that she could.

"I… can't move." She muttered. Kiba held her hand.

"You'll be ok. You still need to rest." He told her. She winced from a pain in her chest, where her heart lay.

"Naomi… she's… there's two hearts, isn't there?" She asked. Kiba grew confused. Kankuro stepped in.

"Yes."

Sheeva began to cry, the tears falling down the sides of her face and onto the pillow.

"It's too late, then…He was right…no matter what I did…" She whispered. Kiba shook his head.

"Sheeva, what are you—

--I'm going to die, Kiba." She said.

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**Pretty interesting, huh? I have to do some research, so it'll be a while till i get to writing.**

**Whether Sheeva lives or dies depends on you. (HAHAHAHA!!!!!)**


	37. I Don't Believe In Fate!

**well... this was a bit strange for me to write, since i kept going back and forth between people and stuff.**

**anyway, review, please.**

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Chapter 32

Kiba felt his breathing stop, and his heart skip a beat. He looked to Kankuro. Kankuro sighed and looked away in sorrow. Temari and Gaara were doing everything they could to keep from crying.

"No. No, Sheeva, you-you can't…but…" He stuttered. She took her hand out of his, and sighed.

He backed away, trying to hold back his tears. No use. They fell down, and with them, his shaded glasses. He turned and ran out of the office, running as far as he could away. He ran to the tree at the top of the highest hill before stopping. He had let tears fall down his face the entire way. He gripped at the tree trunk with his fingernails, screaming out into the dark.

He pulled at his hair, and fell to his knees, scraping at the ground in anger. He clutched at his chest—he felt as though his heart was breaking. He even vomited.

He rolled onto his side, hyperventilating. He eventually calmed down, using the branches of the tree to help him stand. He then looked at his hands, and balled them into fists. He punched the tree, shattering a small dent.

_There's got to be something I can do to help you, Sheeva…no matter what the price, I will keep you from death…_

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Eva crept out from her hiding place when she felt Baki's chakra signature.

"Baki, is everything ok? Where's Sheeva? Where's Kiba?" She asked. Baki sighed. He had actually gotten a drink before coming here, and the sake was getting to his head.

"Kiba's fine. Sheeva's fine too, Joana." He muttered.

"Joana? Did you just… you knew my mother?" She asked. Baki gave her a confused look.

"I…I'm your sensei." He stated. She stared at him.

"what are you..." She muttered. He sighed again with a look of regret on his face.

"Baki? What's wrong? What's gotten into you?" She asked. He stared at her.

"I was there…when...Ibiza died. You too…"

She stared at him.

"Oh." She said. He looked at her.

"Oh?"

"You've been drinking, haven't you?" She demanded. He nodded.

"This… is all my fault. I should have been stronger. Mayuri's back… and he might have raped Sheeva too, I don't know. I cannot forgive myself of what he did to you, Joana." He whispered, falling to his knees and beginning to cry. He took and held her hands in his.

She took a minute to process the information, and realized that he was talking about what happened to her mother. She already knew; she found a diary of her mother's hidden in the attic one day, and began to read it.

"Baki-sensei. It's okay. I forgive you." She said. He let out a sob and pulled her into a hug, crying into her shoulder.

"I'm a horrible man. Horrible!" She patted him on the back.

"No, sensei… you're not. You're not." She whispered. She felt a little weird giving Baki a hug, even in the darkness, and especially when he was somewhat inebriated.

She let him cry, and when he was done, helped him to lie on her couch, covering him up with a blanket and setting a pillow under his head. He was asleep in minutes. She sighed, grabbed her keys and a few weapons and set out to find Kiba and Sheeva.

******************************************************************************

"Hinata…What did he do to you?" Shino asked, touching her face gently. He looked at her hair, her face, her hands, heart-broken. He feared that she might die before him, and too early on in his life.

"It's ok…but our son…Sheeva's hurt badly. I don't know what was wrong, but she was vomiting violently, and shaking so terribly. And that man that attacked us… he molested the poor girl…" She whispered. He tried to sit up, but found he could barely move.

"He's a good boy. He's strong. He'll get through this. And she will too. She's stronger than a lot of women out there, so she'll be able to go on." He said. Hinata smiled, and sat in a chair next to him, and took his hand, kissing his cheek.

"I'm glad that we're all ok." She admitted. Shino nodded and kissed the back of her hand.

"Shino…I'm going to teach Kiba the Gentle-Fist style. We may have to go back to Konoha, but that is a risk I am willing to take…" She told him. He took a deep breath.

"Ok. Can I help?" He asked. She smiled.

"Maybe. But get better first." She said. He smiled and nodded.

"Where is Kiba?" He asked.

"He left with Baki to find Sheeva. Gaara's orders." She explained.

"It must have been important…I think… I think that I can get up." He said, sitting himself up. He draped his feet over the edge, and stood slowly with the help of Hinata. The nurse came along and checked his wound, and then after giving the ok, they walked to the check-out.

Shino enjoyed the cool night air rather than the stuffy hospital smell. Hinata walked by his side, holding his hand. They turned the corner, and bumped into Kankuro, who was carrying Sheeva home.

"Hi, Kankuro. Have you seen Kiba?" Hinata asked. Kankuro looked up at them morosely, and sniffled.

"He left…I don't know where he is." He replied. Hinata frowned.

"Is everyone ok?" She asked. Kankuro shook his head.

"She…She had to…tell him about…" He stopped, trying to hold back. Hinata and Shino stared at him.

"About what? Naomi? He already knows about—

--no, not Naomi…She-Sheeva's gonna…die!" He gritted his teeth as he said this. Hinata gasped. Shino's mouth dropped.

"Oh…no… I'm going to find Kiba!" He tried to run, but couldn't—his side hurt. Kankuro woke Sheeva, and told her to go with Hinata and Shino.

"Is it possible for me to find him with your bugs, Aburame?" He asked. Shino shrugged, and called forth a few of his kikaichu.

"Go with Kankuro, find my son." He demanded. They flew over to Kankuro and buried themselves beneath his pig-suit/hoodie.

He squirmed. He said a quick goodbye to them and took off. He let them guide him, two on his left arm and two on his right would bite him to let him know where to go.

******************************************************************************

Eva heard sobbing in front of her, and hastened towards the sound. In the bright moonlight she saw a familiar figure standing by the highest tree in Suna. She rushed for the person.

"Are you okay?" She asked. She was shocked to see Kiba, tears flooded his face, and his glasses were off.

"Oh, god, Kiba, what the hell?" She took out a handkerchief and wiped his face.

"Eva. You're ok…"

"I'm fine, but what the hell happened to you? Oh, god. Sheeva's not…not…

"No… She's fine. But…she's going to die, if she doesn't get rid of Naomi now!" He turned away and punched the tree again, yelling out of anger barely feeling the pain of the impact. Eva stared at him.

"What?" She asked.

"Help me save her, Eva. You and I, we can do it. We'll find a way to get the damned thing out of her and save her. Even if we have to become runaways." He suggested, shaking her. She slapped him.

"Jesus, Kiba, do you hear yourself? You're nuts if you think—

--she'd do the same for you." He snapped. She shut her mouth, nodding. He was right. She would do the same.

"Ok." She agreed, holding out her hand. He shook it. Kankuro cleared his throat, and they looked up from the direction of the voice.

"You're not doing anything without one of us. I'm her dad. I'm going with you." He demanded, jumping down and placing his hand on theirs. They sighed, and nodded.

"Go home, Aburame. Your mother wants to talk with you." He ordered. Kiba nodded and left.

"Eva. Are you ok?" He asked.

"Yes. Where's Sheeva?" She questioned.

"The Aburame's. She'll be fine. Gaara doubled the security of the gates and the walls. Did Baki find you?"

"He's passed out on my couch. He was kinda drunk…he kept calling me Joana. I knew that he used to be my mother's sensei and all… I don't want to talk about it, either." She hissed. She checked her watch.

"Jesus… it's already 3. You should pick up Sheeva and go home. We'll talk tomorrow." She demanded before disappearing. Kankuro sighed and stared at the moon. He yawned, and then made his way to the Aburame house.

Upon arrival, they offered to let them stay; they didn't want them to walk all the way across the town. It would have taken another hour anyway. Kankuro passed out on the floor, Sheeva slept on the couch. Shino and Hinata slept in their bedroom, and Kiba in his.

He just lay there, angry. Angry at his own stupidity, and angry at fate.

_Who the hell am I kidding? I don't believe in Fate…I can break this. She'll live. I'll see to it, god damn it._ He swore. He shook his head and bit his tongue, rolling on his side. A few of his Kikai crawled out from the shirt he wore, chattering their tiny jaws at him. He sighed, and they flew off the bed from the force. He rolled his eyes and turned on his other side.

He shut his eyes, hoping to fall asleep soon, since he was going to need it for his training tomorrow.

* * *

**Did this chapter suck butt or what?! (I need to work on this...)**

**review, please!**


	38. Report 6

**Hello**

**Again, my thanks to Baby Cougar. i have not recieved reviews from any others in quite some time, so...**

**BTW, if anyone wishes to use my ideas, feel free, but please give me credit for it. (That's called stealing if you don't. I think...)**

**anyway, thanks.**

**now... review count: 63!! Thanks!! you are free to review as you wish. I just wanted to reach 60. 100 would be nice, but... psh... good luck with that, yeah?**

**I just posted a shitload of new chapters, so if i don't get some reviews, i'm gonna be pissed!**

**(jk.) i understand. you read when you have time. And some of us don't have the luxury of time. ^.^**

**Sayounara!**

**(Goodbye)**

**(P.S. I have some research to do before I continue my story, so it will be a while before any new chapters arrive.)**


	39. Report 7Apology

**Hello **

**BTW, if anyone wishes to use my ideas, feel free, but please give me credit for it. (That's called stealing if you don't. I think...)**

**anyway, thanks.**

**I am currently having technical difficulties in uploading my documents, so again, it will be even LONGER to get the Peices of S*** posted. It is highly aggravating, and i want it to STOP!!!!!**

**ARGGH!**

**I will try to post soon, until then...**

**Sayounara!**

**(Goodbye)**


	40. Heavy Training

OMFG!!! i can get my chapters up now!

TOOK FOREVER!!!!!

this one is short, so sorry, and it may be a bit confusing, because i got really lost in what i was doing.

i could really use some useful tips on what to do next, i'm rather lost. i reread the story twce, and i don't know what to do.

not gonna kill anyone yet, i dont' think...

Bleh, i'll shut up and let you read the actual chapter now.

ciao

* * *

Chapter 33

Hinata crept into the kitchen, grabbing a pan off the wall and a large wooden spoon. Smiling a little she tiptoe across the house to her son's bedroom, opened up the sliding door, put the pan next to his head and-

BANG BANG BANG BANG!!! She pounded the pan with the spoon, sending Kiba into the air. He had even screamed.

"What the hell—MOM, what are you doing?!" He shouted, holding his hands to his ears in pain. She began to laugh wildly, and left the room. Kiba was breathing heavily, eyes wide, and head aching from both the noise and the rude awakening. Sheeva ran in, looking around, kunai in hand.

"What was that? Kiba, are you ok?" She asked. He caught his breath and nodded. He stumbled to the bathroom, shutting the door behind him. Sheeva smirked. _I feel sorry for you._ She thought, flicking off the light and going to the kitchen.

Hinata had set up breakfast for them, and was sitting at the table. She was still laughing, and gave Sheeva a high five as she passed.

Sheeva and Shino sat down, waiting for Kiba to join them. They sat and ate in silence with Kiba giving his mother dirty looks behind his glasses every now and then.

After they finished, Sheeva and Shino stayed behind to clean the dishes while Hinata and Kiba left to the backyard to talk. Sheeva sighed and rinsed off the dish Shino handed her.

"What's wrong?" He asked.

"Kiba… I worry about him." She admitted. Shino nodded.

_It's about her condition…_

"Kankuro told us the news about…" He stopped, realizing that it was far too rude. He picked at a piece of food still stuck on the plate. She remained silent.

"He's taking this much harder than he should." She growled, rinsing off the next dish.

He nearly dropped the plate he was cleaning at her cold remark.

"He just cares about you, you know?" He told her. She sighed again.

"I know. But he shouldn't fly off the handle every time something bad happens!" She growled, a little louder than intended.

Shino finished off the last dish and set it aside. He patted her head.

"You and Eva are his only friends. He's considered a freak, just like you and Eva. You all share a common pain, and if one of the links breaks, the entire circle falls apart… Is there anything that we can do for you? Hinata and Kiba have their Byakugan—maybe they can—

--they won't be able to help. I…I don't know what I would do, but the only thing that comes to mind is to get the second heart removed. Meaning… I'd have to get rid of her first, and then cut out the heart." She interrupted. Shino's mouth dropped.

"You've given this a lot of thought, haven't you?" He asked. She nodded.

"What about…there's a medical Ninja in Konoha, perhaps she can help. She healed your dad, did you know? When he—oh, what was it? I don't remember." He lied, catching himself before he could say what really happened.

"Her name is Sakura Haruno… I'm surprised that she even became a medical ninja. She was pathetic, always trailing and obsessing over the village heart-throb, Sasuke Uchiha." He muttered. Sheeva smirked.

"I don't believe you. Where's Kankuro?" She asked.

He shrugged.

"I think he went to talk to Gaara about something."

*************************************************************************************

Gaara looked up from the stack of the papers to find Sheeva at the door, waiting to come in. He waved at her to step in with his hand. Kankuro smiled and waved.

"Shino told me about Sakura Haruno, of the leaf village. He said that you might know something." She announced. Gaara looked up from the sheet he was signing.

"Holy shit, that's right! How did I forget about that?! DAMN!" He let his head hit the desk with a dull thunk on the wood.

"He was right? Oh. He also told me about Tsunade and some other ninja that used to live around here." Gaara nodded.

"That does sound…Chiyo, I think her name was. She brought me back to life after I had been—uh, never mind." Sheeva's eyes widened.

"You were killed? But…how? And by who? I thought you could never die! You're like, invincible!" She asked, shocked.

"And you!" She pointed at Kankuro.

"What happened to you that Sakura Haruno had to heal you?" Kankuro sighed. The shit had hit the fan.

"Everyone has their weaknesses. Now… how do you feel about going to find them and asking them for help?" Gaara muttered, folding his hands together and trying to distract her. Sheeva didn't buy the distraction.

"I'll do it. But you haven't told me who killed you, and what happened to you." She growled, crossing her arms and then looking at Kankuro. Gaara smiled at the familiar pose.

"You're as stubborn as Temari. Fine. I was murdered by the Akatsuki." Sheeva stared at him again.

"Really?" _Why is it always the Akatsuki?_ She wondered.

"Yeah. Don't ask how, I don't remember. But anyway, she brought me back." He muttered, returning to his paperwork. Sheeva frowned, eager to hear the story of the seemingly infallible Gaara.

"And you, Dad?" She asked, curious.

"I was poisoned by one of the Akatsuki as well. Boy… they sure do love the Sand ninja, don't they?" Kankuro joked. Sheeva shook her head to try to remain calm.

"Go find Eva; tell her that you guys leave in three days. You'll have to head to Konoha first."

Sheeva opened her mouth to say something, but Gaara cut her off.

"And yes, she can visit what's-his-name." He muttered. She smiled, and rushed out the door. Kankuro stood from his chair and left to go home and pack a few things.

*************************************************************************************

Eva invited Sheeva inside cordially, and asked her what was up.

Sheeva was bouncing off of the walls, ecstatic and happy.

"Come on, pack your things, we're—

--pack? We just got back! This is crazy!" She complained.

"We're going to Konoha." She told her. Eva brightened, and smiled. She hurriedly grabbed together her things and shoved them half-caringly into her backpack.

"Why?" Eva asked. Sheeva smiled even wider.

"I found a way to get rid of Naomi." She announced. Eva stared at her.

"REALLY?!" She shouted. Sheeva covered her ears, sensitive to the high-pitched squeal that she let out when she nodded her head yes.

"I'm so happy! You're not gonna die!!" She yelled happily, giving her a choking hug.

"Yeah. Now, Eva—let me go!" She wheezed.

A question went through Sheeva's mind, and before she could stop herself, it rang out nice and clear.

"Eva, are you on drugs or something? You're not yourself." She asked.

Eva skidded to a halt, tripping over the carpet and crashing into the front door.

"What? Drugs? No!" She laughed.

Sheeva rolled her eyes and helped her up brushing her off and picking up her stuff. They traveled to Sheeva's apartment, waiting while Kankuro and Sheeva gathered their things, and then to Kiba's house.

*************************************************************************************

Kiba was exhausted, having practiced the 64-palms and 128-palms techniques three times in a row as quickly as he could on clones of Hinata's. He had about a five second limit before the clones exploded, so he had to act quickly to complete each of the rounds.

Another clone of Hinata's ran for him, and he jumped out of the way to avoid getting hit with a punch.

He settled himself, and did another round of the 128-palms, the burn of the strain on his arms distracting him.

"Kiba, you don't have to push yourself so hard like this. Give yourself some rest." Hinata said, calling off her clones. Kiba fell to his knees, grinning.

"You're going to be really sore tomorrow." Hinata said, helping her son up off of the ground. Just as she was about to open the sliding door to the house, it opened for her. She jumped in shock, and Shino stepped out. He took Kiba from her, and led him to his room, setting him on his bed and leaving him. He walked back to Hinata, encasing her in a loving hug.

"He did well, Shino…" She muttered, before bursting into tears. Shino lifted her head, confused. He removed his glasses.

"What's wrong?" He asked.

"I feel like-like I don't know him anymore! He pushes himself too hard!" She cried. Shino sighed and patted her back and set his forehead on her shoulder.

"Don't be sad, honey. He's like you and me. He works hard for the people that he loves, just as we do. He'll be fine. I promise." He assured her. She continued to cry, holding him tightly.

* * *

**Aw, so sweet..**

**that's enough. **

**please, please, PLEASE Review!!!!**


	41. Finding a Loophole

Here is the complete chapter now. Hopefully you all like this one a little bit more than the other one.

Thanks for your patience, and have a nice day!

Ciao,

Sheeva1331

* * *

Chapter 34

Mejia and Katurah studied the canyon below, searching for the girl with the puppets, and they were getting irritated easily. The sun beat down on them, and their red cloud and black sky robes were making them suffer more the already insufferable heat of Suna.

Mejia tapped Katurah. She turned to him, and he began to sign with his hands.

_Maybe we can forget about the mission, and just leave the organization. You wanted to quit anyway, right?_ He asked. She thought about it, and then shook her head no.

"We don't want to upset Renoah anymore. God only knows what he'll think of to do to us next." She muttered, afraid that he was near, listening in on their one-sided conversation.

_Yes, I want to quit, but…_

She gave him a look for him to continue.

_Maybe we can get on the Kazekage's good side, by giving him Mayuri. We both want to quit, she wants a way to live. Mayuri knows how to do that, and with my techniques, I can find out how to do that, and force him to perform them, or I'll just do them myself. _He said. Her eyes went wide at what he was suggesting. She looked at him, staring him in his Onyx eyes. The blue rings around the irises were gleaming with pride.

"Mejia…that's brilliant! But how would we convince--

--you can start by explaining what the hell you're doing here, Akatsuki." Baki growled behind them, making them jump. Mejia and Katurah stood, facing him. Mejia tapped Katurah and began to sign again.

_Take off the robes and your hitai-ate._ He stated. Baki gave him a look.

"What is—

--he's a mute." She snapped, taking off her Akatsuki robe and headband. She tossed it to the ground, and so did Mejia.

"We don't want to be affiliated with those bastards anymore. They have lost their purpose—to hunt down and exterminate the tailed demons. Instead, Renoah has turned it into a revenge…thing. What he did to that poor girl was unbelievable. We would like to speak with your Kazekage." She explained. Mejia nodded.

Baki looked from one to the other.

"I've never heard or seen either one of you. How do I know you're not spies?" He asked.

"We are spies, but we're trying to quit, like we said. We can save the girl, but we need to find one of our organization…he's the doctor that tortured the poor child. Mejia's abilities will be able to copy the technique, and we can help heal the girl. Or we can kidnap the bastard and bring him here; force him to perform the healing…thing."

Baki eyed them suspiciously, and then decided to take them to the Kazekage.

"Hold out your wrists." He demanded, wrapping ropes around the both of them.

"This rope cannot break, and if you try to use any Jutsu, well, you'll just see what happens. You're going to explain all of this to the Kazekage. And if he agrees, then we take this to the council. The most we can guarantee is your citizenship, but not your freedom. It all depends." He stated, tying the other end around himself and walking back to the city.

They were led throughout the city, getting strange stares from the other Suna citizens. Baki turned a corner and bumped into the three kids--Sheeva, Kiba, and Eva. **(A/N wow. i just realized they all end in "a". sorry.)** Sheeva stared at the two Akatsuki in alarm, and Kiba and Eva had no clue who they were.

"What the hell are they--interrogation? What--

--we turned ourselves in." Katurah explained. Mejia began to sign, and Katurah watched.

"He says that he's sorry for what the others did to you. We tried to reason with them, to try and get them to treat you better...we were the ones that gave you the strawberries and fresh meat. There was a patch of strawberries in the back." She stated. Sheeva nodded.

"I understand." She whispered, head hung low.

"Where are you taking them, Baki?" She asked. Baki turned to her to answer her question.

"They're going straight to the Kazekage. They claim that Mayuri has a way to fix what he did to you." He stated. She blinked, and her mouth opened in realization.

"Oh my god...they may be right. If he could speed it up, there's got to be a way to slow it down."

"He won't be willing to do it, though..." Katurah muttered.

"You guys, come with us. We'll talk this over in Gaara's office. Actually, go find Kankuro and Temari." Baki demanded. Sheeva, Kiba, and Eva nodded, heading back to Temari's apartment.

Baki ignored the two captives as he continued towards the Kazekage's office.

*********************************************************************************

Sheeva pounded on Temari's door, just to try and scare her aunt. It worked, as they all heard a high pitched scream from the inside of the apartment.

"Who the hell is banging on my—Sheeva, what the hell, man?" She asked. She was dressed in pajama bottoms and bunny slippers.

Sheeva had to stifle a laugh.

"We need you in Gaara's office. Good thing we came here first…change, and then go. We're going to get Kankuro. It's very important!" She barked.

Temari growled and slammed the door, walking back to her bathroom to get ready and fix her hair back up in its usual four pony tails.

They tried to play the same trick on Kankuro, but Temari had called him right after they left, figuring that they would try to do the same to him.

"Nice try, guys." Kankuro said as he opened the door, catching Sheeva's fist as she brought it down against the door.

"What's up?" He asked, smiling.

"Just meet us at Gaara's office." Sheeva, Eva, and Kiba snapped together, disappeareing in a puff of smoke. Kankuro coughed and waved the smoke out of his face, and when it cleared, they were gone. He scoffed and shook his head.

"Brats…." He chuckled, and gathered his weapons, figuring that they were being sent on another mission.

*********************************************************************************

Temari and Kankuro were completely confused as to why there were two strangers in Gaara's office.

"Temari, Kankuro, these two are Akatsuki." Baki put bluntly. Temari and Kankuro flew into a rage and both reached for their weapons at the same time.

"What the hell are they doing in---

--soon to be EX Akatsuki!!" Sheeva put in, standing between them. They settled, and stared at her for a minute.

"Sheeva, you do realize that these are the people that—

--they're not like the others. They were the only ones nice to me. They gave me strawberries." Sheeva put in. Temari and Kankuro gave her a "What the fuck?" look.

"Sheeva, what the hell are you—

--what she's trying to say is that they didn't do anything to harm her. They had nothing to do with the torture that went on. They tried to help her by healing her and giving her healthy food." Baki answered.

"They why didn't you try to help her escape?" Kankuro spat, glaring at them. Mejia began to sign wildly.

"He says that we were being watched. The only way that we slipped the food in is with our long sleeves. We hid them there. But yeah, we were constantly being watched, since they knew we had a soft spot for the girl." Katurah explained.

"You know what, I think I remember hearing your voice…you gave the strawberries, I remember now. Your nails are painted lime green." Kankuro muttered. He felt foolish for having not noticed before and jumping in like he had.

Temari had forgotten momentarily that she was still clutching her weapons, and released her tight grip on them.

"Who are you guys?" She asked.

"My name is Katurah Feezel. This is Mejia Torres. I'm from Rock Country, Mejia is from…well, Mejia was born in Leaf Country. Other than that, we don't know much about our families." She explained.

Gaara studied their physical features closely. He noticed that Mejia's hair and eyes were onyx black, and it reminded him of someone, but he couldn't place it at the time.

"Do you know at least the names of your parents?" He asked. They shook their heads.

"Do you have any Kekkai-Genkai?" Gaara asked. Katurah shook her head, but Mejia nodded, and began to sign.

"He says that he possesses a power called the Sharingan, but we don't know much about it. We were hoping that someone would be able to tell us, but we gave up on that quite a while ago." The three sand siblings looked up in alarm and amazement.

They looked to one another.

"You don't think Sasuke Uchiha would've…do you?" Temari asked. Gaara shook his head no. As far as he knew, Sasuke was happy with Ayame.

"There is someone else with the Sharingan?!" Katurah asked excitedly. They all nodded.

"All the more reason for you to follow us to Konoha. Sasuke Uchiha will be able to train you in your abilities as a Sharingan user. As for you, Katurah, I suggest you take on a career as a medic nin. They suit you, and we are short of them at the moment." Gaara stated, folding his hands in front of his mouth.

"So when are we going to Konoha?" Eva chirped. Gaara smiled a little, and sighed.

"You may as well go now. Katurah and Mejia, you will have to transform into someone else so that they don't recognize you if you do get seen by the Akatsuki. There is a hair salon and clothing store down the street, so that should help. Sheeva, see to it that they get that done." He demanded. She bowed, and then saluted.

"Yes, sir!" She smiled. _Great. I can pick up my weapons while I'm gone!! Can't believe I even thought about leaving them there…._

They all left the room, but Kankuro and Temari stayed behind.

"What are you going to do? About…about Sheeva, I mean? Are we going to help her or just let her—

--we are helping her. First, we go to Konoha. Tsunade should be able to help sustain the growth of the demon, and then you will take Mejia, Katurah, Sheeva, Kiba, and Eva and find and capture Mayuri. You are then to bring him to me. Understand?" He growled. They nodded their heads.

"Should we really make Sheeva go with us, though? I mean, Naomi could take control, and then we'd all be—

--take her with you. She'll be good bait for Mayuri." Gaara ordered.

"Bait!? You're gonna offer my child up as _BAIT_?!" Kankuro barked.

"Yes…that should help in capturing the fucker." He stated. He pointed towards the door.

"Now, get out of my office." He ordered. They sighed, and walked out.

"There's no way that I will let her fight. No way." Kankuro muttered. Temari set a hand on his shoulder.

"As bad as it sounds, he's right. She's the only one that that freak will go after." She told him. He sighed, and let it go. They headed towards the gates of Sunagakure, and met up with Sheeva, Baki, Eva, Kiba, and the two criminals.

"We're going to go to Konoha now. When we get there, we'll need to find a safer place. We can either go to the Aburame compound, the Hyuuga compound, or we can bunk with the Hokage. We'll decide either along the way or when we get there." Kankuro said. They all nodded and began to walk away from Suna once more.

*********************************************************************************

"Where the hell are Mejia and Katurah?" Mayuri spat, frustrated. Ichigo shrugged.

"No idea. They should have been back by now. Maybe they stopped, and are resting somewhere. Wouldn't surprise me, they've been crushing on each other for months now." He replied, staring at his nails and picking off the already chipping red paint.

"Why is everything about sex with you?" He growled. Ichigo looked at him with a michevous glint in his eye.

"Wouldn't _you_ like to know?" He growled suggestively. Mayuri backed off.

"What the hell is your problem, freak?!" He hissed. Ichigo began to laugh.

"I'm just messing with you, fucker. Don't worry—I'm totally straight." He continued to laugh and then walked away.

_Whatever….I'm going to go ask Renoah if I can search for Mejia and Katurah…._

He knocked lightly on a door in the hallway.

"Renoah, sir?"

"Enter." A gruff voice from the room called out.

"Mejia and Katurah haven't come back yet. They've been gone since last Monday. It's—

--Friday, I know. Don't worry about it. They're probably just fucking around somewhere. They'll get the beating when they return." Renoah told him.

"Guess I'll just go then." He turned to leave, but Renoah stopped him.

"You can try and find them if you really want. Take someone with you. Ichigo, perhaps. Or maybe even Toto." He growled. Mayuri nodded his head in respect.

"Thank you, sir." He said.

He tapped on the door to Ichigo's room and told him that he was getting ready to leave to find the others, and to be ready in ten minutes. Ichigo groaned in annoyance and began to pack his things.

_There's going to be hell to pay when I find those two…_

Yes, i realize that i used Ichigo's name from Bleach, but one, it was a cool anime, and two, i really needed a name, and was too lazy to think of one on my own.

So deal with it, yeah?

Auf Wiedersehen!

* * *


	42. Report 8

This is to all my faithful readers:

Thank you so much.

School had been tough, balancing work and my boyfriend in with that is damn near impossible.

i will try to write more; i have a weekend right around the corner, and my computer is all mine, and my parents work, and there is no work for me!!! so yeah. i'll definitely have something. i just have to try and remember to keep my cahracters in order and such, and all that good stuff.

sorry for the long irritating irrelevant irresponsible babbling....i'll shut up and start writing now...

ciao ciao, tutti!

(bye bye, all!)

Sheeva1331


	43. Random Report

Random Report--February 28, 2010

Wow. 88 reviews. Thank you very much you guys. Ugh…it's been so long since I have been on my Fanfiction account, I have forgotten what I have and have not done yet. I don't even remember what happened to my story…I haven't looked at it in forever. It's scary, really. If any of you guys can help me out, and give me an idea to get the story back up and running, please, let me know…

I already have an idea… I'll split the last chapter that I was working on, and see how that turns out. It'll be quite small, but my brain is shut down at the moment. Lols. *sigh*


	44. Finding Help

Chapter 35

Sheeva sighed with relief as they all sat down in Naruto's office. The room was quite full with all of the people they had, and with the weapons that Sheeva had regained.

"We were hoping to find Tsunade somewhere here." Temari explained. Naruto looked up from his paperwork, and thought for a minute.

"Well…I think that she's at the hospital. Try there first. And if she's not there, then try searching the Ninja Academy. She likes to hang out there and teach the students random healing Jutsu or other techniques." He suggested. Sheeva, Kiba, and Eva nodded, and walked out of his office.

"Where should we search first?" Kiba asked. Eva was lost in her own world, thinking about where Kubiki might be.

"Let's try the academy." Sheeva decided. She shook Eva out of her trance and they walked in and out and between the large streets of Konoha.

They had to stop a few times to ask where the academy was, and people usually just grunted at them and pointed. After a good hour of aimlessly wandering about, they ran into the academy. They walked in, searching for a teacher or someone to talk to.

Kiba turned the corner and bumped into a woman with long blonde hair, brown eyes, and a blue diamond in the middle of her forehead.

"Sorry." He grumbled, standing back up. She glared at the three of them, and they shuddered, backing off carefully.

"We-we were looking for—

--looking for me? _Tch. EVERYBODY_ is looking for me." She grumbled. She took another look at the three of them, and blinked a few times.

"Who are you?" She asked.

"I'm Eva Nairobi; this is Sheeva, and Kiba Aburame." Eva put in.

"Kiba Aburame? Oh, I see. You're Hinata Hyuuga and Shino Aburame's son. I remember when they left… are they ok? How's everything for them?" She asked. Kiba gave her a confused look.

"You are Tsunade?" He asked, raising an eyebrow.

She smiled and nodded.

"Right. Being a foreigner, it's hard to trust someone. Yes, I am Tsunade. If you want, we can talk somewhere else." She stated, turning around and walking off.

"Tsunade, can you help us, please?" Kiba shouted out. She stopped, and turned around.

"Help?" She asked.

"We're from Suna. We've traveled a long way in search of you, hoping that you can help…me…" Sheeva stated.

Then it clicked.

"You're the…the kid, then? The one that everyone was talking about? Tch. There's always one of you…Sorry, but I can't help you. Even if I could, I wouldn't." She growled. She turned her back on them and walked on.

Eva grew angry with Tsunade, and rushed up to her, stopping her.

"How can you just say that?! You insensitive bitch!" She screamed. Tsunade stared at Eva, glaring.

"_You_ call me a bitch?" She asked, raising an eyebrow. She laughed, and then punched Eva so hard that she flew across the hall and through a wall.

"Hey!" Sheeva yelled, running for her. Tsunade tried to run, but found she couldn't. She couldn't even move.

Someone stopped Sheeva as well.

Shikamaru stood a little distance away, a smirk on his face.

"There, there, now. Let's all _try_ to get along…what trouble you both are." He stated.

"Tsunade, help them out willya? They're just kids." He stated. She sent him a glare, and then sighed.

"I guess if I have no choice…" She stated. Shikamaru released his jutsu, and they moved, happy for the release of restraint.

"What do you need?" Tsunade grumbled.

"I need you to help slow down the…attachment of my demon." Sheeva said.

"Attachment, huh? You don't want me to get rid of it?" She asked. Sheeva's eyes widened.

"You can do that?!" She asked. Tsunade shook her head.

"No. I just said that to mislead you." She said. _And, even if I could, you'd have to die first._ She added to herself. Sheeva's head dropped in disappointment.

"Can you slow down the attachment anyways?" She asked. Tsunade nodded her head.

"But you'll have to do something for me first." She growled.

They walked up to her, eager to do whatever she told them to.

"What? What?" They begged.

"Find my son. Bring him here." She stated. They stared at him.

"Who…who is your son? What does he look like?" Sheeva asked.

"He's got brown and yellow eyes, black hair with blonde tips, and a snake-like tongue…I named him—

--Mayuri. That is your son…isn't it?" Sheeva asked. Tsunade looked at Sheeva.

"How did you know that?" She asked.

"He's with Akatsuki. The freak doctor of the group…he's the one that did this to me. He's why we're here. We were going to find him and force him to reverse the Jutsu that he placed on me, and also to gain some of the life that he drained from Kiba's mother, Hinata." Sheeva explained. Tsunade took a few steps back.

"H-he's…tch. No wonder he's with Akatsuki. Surprised he hasn't left the organization like his father did." She turned on her heel sharply.

"Come. We're going to talk to the Hokage about this." She stated, motioning for them to follow. Sheeva and Kiba stopped to pick up Eva, who was unconscious. Kiba carried her while Sheeva carried her weapons.

* * *

"Oi! Sasuke! Open up! There's something you need to see!" Naruto yelled while pounding on the door of Sasuke's complex. The bird haired man opened the door, rubbing his eyes.

"I was sleeping, teme…what do—

He stopped as he saw Mejia, who had his Sharingan activated. He allowed his mouth to drop open.

"Who-who is—

Mejia smiled and waved at Sasuke, then began to sign. Katurah translated.

"My name is Mejia. I was told that you would be able to help me with training my Sharingan abilities. I am willing to be put under your teaching, Uchiha-sama." She finished. Sasuke looked at Naruto.

"Seriously? S-so…no, not my kid…Itachi's…he's got the lines." Sasuke was utterly floored; dumfounded, even.

"It's not that hard to figure out, baka. Obviously your brother fucked someone. You don't think he'd have died a virgin, do you?" Naruto growled as he walked past. He greeted Ayame with a smile.

Sasuke shook his head, and then moved aside so that Kankuro, Temari, Katurah, and Mejia could step in.

"How much do you know? A-about the Sharingan, I mean…" Sasuke asked Mejia. Mejia thought for a bit, then began to sign again.

_I know how to copy other people's moves, but that's all. Is there more?_ Katurah translated.

"Yes. There's much more…you can send people into a powerful Genjutsu called Tsukuyomi. You can shoot fire from your eyes—black fire, called Amatirasu. There are also different levels of the Sharingan…I have the Mangekyo Sharingan. You have the basic, I see—the three black commas."

Mejia didn't move as Sasuke studied his features.

"Yeah, he's an Uchiha. And he's defintely my brother's kid. Which makes me an uncle!" He stated, trying to contain his excitement.

"Soooo...What now?" Ayame asked. Naruto sighed, and told Sasuke to sit.

"Listen. Akatsuki's back, and they're going after Sheeva. You remember her. The sand-girl from the Chuunin Exams with the wings and the demon." Sasuke nodded.

"Duh, of course i remember. i helped rescue her, dobe." Sasuke looked at Mejia.

"You want me to train Mejia to kill her?" Sasuke offered. Naruto, to Sasuke's dismay, laughed and said no.

"I want you to train Mejia so that we can track down the medic of the Akatsuki and force him to reverse the work he has done on Sheeva." Naruto explained.

"And you expect me to do this out of the kindness of my heart?" Sasuke asked, standing to leave.

"I can pay you." Naruto quickly added. Sasuke stopped.

"Pay?" He smiled and sat down again.

Naruto sighed, upset that he had to bribe Sasuke to train Mejia.

"I'll do it. i'll need the translator girl to be there too, so that he can understand me."

Katurah growled.

"He's mute, ok? He's not deaf!" She hissed. Sasuke quietly apologized, even though he didn't mean it.

Naruto looked at his watch, and stood to leave.

"I've got a meeting to get to. We'll talk more later, yeah?" He stated, walking out of the door without letting anybody else speak. Sasuke sighed, and sat down.

"You guys are pretty dirty, no offense. Why don't you go get cleaned up, and I'll take your clothes and wash them for you. Is that ok?" Ayame offered, ushering them out of the room and into separate bathrooms of the Uchiha complex. She took their clothes, and set them in the washer, tossing a small cup of soap in and ran them through. She then walked otu to talk with her husband.

"How are you, hon? Will you be okay?" She asked, sitting next to him and taking his hand in hers and kissing his cheek lightly.

"Yeah...i suppose...It's just... Itachi's son. Here. I'm afriad that i might freak and accidentally kill him, he looks so much like Itachi..." Sasuke muttered.

Ayame shook him.

"But he's _not_ Itachi, dear. Don't worry. We'll all be fine. and besides, Itachi is dead now." Ayame reassured him. Sasuke nodded, and told himself that Ayame was right, and that he needed to listen to her.


	45. Report 9: Pairings

Random Report--April 2, 2010

Ok... Apparently there is no notice that tells you of any updates in your polls... so forgive me for not having checked them in such a long time. (not that you guys would care, but it did concern your guys's opinions, yeah?

So far on the Kankuro and Temari pairings:

Kankuro x OC 50%

Temari X Naruto 34% (?)

What the hell was I thinking with the Temari/Naruto? Regardless of what you guys say, i'm going to have to go with a Temari x OC...

I'll come up with something...


	46. Chapter 46

Chapter 36

Everyone was in position, waiting for the moment to strike. Their target stood a few yards away, completely clueless to its upcoming doom. They watched as the target drank from the river, wiped away the water from its lips, and walk off. Sheeva took a few kunai and reared back her arm, took a breath, and flicked them at the target.

There was a sickly squeal as the kunai embedded themselves in the side of the wild boar's side. It staggered around temporarily before falling over on its side, trying to get back up in hopes of running. Sheeva rushed up to it and grabbed one of the kunai sticking out of its side and sliced its neck, turning her head away as it bled to death.

"That was _the grossest _thing I've ever had to witness." Eva stated, walking up to the river to refill her canteen. Her long brown hair, if it hadn't been tied back with a red ribbon, would be dipped in the water when she bent over. She wore black shirt and a red skirt, useful for hiding an array of small weapons she kept hidden in her boots.

"Hey, it's food. Be happy. At least this one didn't run off." Kiba protested, taking a machete and cutting the head off. Sheeva watched, admiring his courage to face the already stinking corpse. He took a hook and skewered it through the boar's neck, and attached the hook to a chain.

"Oh, please. It was an accident." Kankuro grumbled, holding open a bag for Kiba to put the boar in. He wrinkled his nose as he smelled the drying blood on the ground. They tied the top of the bag to the chain, and Kankuro grabbed it and slung it over his shoulder.

"Hopefully they finished setting up their tents. We don't have much daylight left." Kankuro stated, walking back into the forest. The rest of them walked behind him; too focused on keeping up to chat.

A crackling fire and a few pitched tents greeted them as they walked into a large clearing in the forest. They sighed happily and sat down. Kankuro chucked the prize off of his shoulder, and stretched.

"All right! I'm not cleaning that. I had to carry it." He announced, taking off his shoes and jacket.

He took a big gulp of water from his canteen and sighed.

"Sheeva, you do it." He said, burping her name.

"I killed it, Dad. I'm not cleaning it. We should make Eva do it." She suggested, giving Eva a mean smile. Eva turned pale. Kubiki laughed, and stood up at the same time as Kiba, who also offered to do it. They both offered to let the other have it, sitting back down.

"Why don't you both do it?" Temari suggested, setting up the fire. They nodded, reaching for the boar.

Mejia and Keturah were finishing setting up the last of the tents, which was supposed to be theirs. Sheeva looked around, noticing something strange. She counted the tents. One, two, three, four.

"Um…" She muttered aloud. Eva looked up.

"What?" She asked.

"There's only four tents." She stated. She looked around at the others, counting them. Temari, Mejia, Keturah, Kankuro, and Eva all stared back at her, waiting for something. She looked at the direction that Kibiki and Kiba had left.

"There's eight of us. There should be eight tents. One for each of us." She announced, looking at Mejia and Keturah. They looked around, and sighed, the guilty looks on their faces obvious. Keturah wrought her hands together, and Mejia began to twist around where he stood.

"We… screwed up. We didn't have enough for 8. We had to trade to get the fourth tent…hehe, sorry." Keturah explained. Sheeva began to laugh.

"Why didn't you just ask us?" She asked. Keturah looked at her, a sad smile on her face.

"We didn't want to use your money. You guys were buying the prepped food, and medical supplies, and-"

"-enough of that. What we need to do now is figure out who's sleeping where. There's only enough space for two people per tent." Kankuro interrupted. Eva rushed immediately to the tent on her left and stood in front of it.

"I call this one! And, I'm bunking with Sheeva!" She announced brightly. Sheeva smiled.

Kankuro nodded, shrugging. Temari thought it was strange though, and called her out on it.

"Why? You should be with Kubiki." She stated. Kankuro turned and gave his sister a death glare, hissing at her under his breath to "shut up and don't change her mind." Temari ignored him.

"Kankuro wouldn't like Kiba bunking with Sheeva, right? And it'd be pretty awkward for Kiba and you to share a tent, since you're… well, opposite genders. Mejia and Keturah have theirs already, since Mejia relies on her to be his voice. Right?" She asked. Mejia thought about it, and nodded, forming a 'y' with his hand and shaking it up and down. He was teaching them basic sign language, and she knew it meant "yes".

"I'll be damned. Kid's got a point." Kankuro blurted, grinning. He grabbed his canteen and poured a little water in his palm, splashing it on his face and wiping away the paint with a towel.

Kiba and Kubiki walked in, each holding a separate bag.

"We weren't sure if you wanted us to keep the guts, so we put it in a bag. Here you go." Kiba growled, handing it to Keturah, who took it with a confused look. She looked behind him, and Kubiki was making signs, motioning that Kiba had puked. Keturah and Mejia both smiled and chuckled. It was the wrong sign, but they got the message anyway.

"So, Kiba, you and Kubiki are sleeping in the same tent. Eva and I have the one next to you. Don't have any nightmares about the creepy thin man!" Sheeva giggled. Kiba looked at her with a slightly sarcastic look. Kubiki stared at her, curious.

"What creepy thin man?" He asked, sitting down. Kiba groaned.

"Oh _great_. This again." He muttered. Sheeva smiled, and leaned forward.

"The graveyard keeper of Sunagakure Village."

Kubiki's eyes were wide with excitement, and he leaned in. She smiled, and continued.

"They say that there was a man in Suna who kept to the graveyard. He cleaned it up, every day, walked through its grounds, cutting away the few weeds that crept up along the stones. He knew every twist and turn. If you asked him to help you find someone, he'd help you find them. All you had to do was give him a last name, birth year, or year of death." She began in a low, creepy voice. The fire popped and crackled, emitting a strange warm glow that barely seemed to touch Kubiki—he felt as cold as ice.

Eva had sat down too, curious. She had never heard this story before, even though she lived in Suna.

"This man had a family at one time, a small family. A loving wife, a happy child. They even had a cat. But the man had a horrible secret. He was plotting to steal money from his partner so that he could pay off some debts. As he was doing his usual rounds in the cemetery, he was approached by a medic. He listened, horrified and heartbroken as he heard that their son had been killed in an accident in one of the mausoleums they took care of."

"A few nights later, a night much like tonight, in fact, as he lay in his bed, he couldn't sleep. Something was bothering him—something that just… wasn't… _right_. So, he decided to take a walk in his graveyard. He didn't pay attention where he was going, and as he reached the road that led to the mausoleum that had claimed his son's life, he heard the cat's meow. Suddenly, a ghost appeared in front of him, and he recognized it as his son."

"'Teo! Teo, my boy, what are you doing? Aren't you in heaven, my boy?' He cried, running to hug him. Teo's shadow passed straight through the man's body, and he fell to his knees."

"Oh, how horrible…" Eva muttered. Kubiki wrapped his arm around her, rubbing her shoulder to comfort her.

"The little boy had not died by accident, it seemed. No… he had been murdered, by the man's partner. Teo told his father to run home, because the same fate was about to befall his mother. The man rushed towards his house, slammed open the door, and stood still, gaping at what he saw. There was his wife, hanging by her neck from the living room fan. At the floor beneath her was a letter, addressed to him. He picked it up, and began to read it."

"_My dearest:' _It began."

"_The pain that I feel towards the loss of our son is too much for my aged bones to bear. I'm afraid I'm of no further use to you, so I have rid you of my useless self. You will always be with me; death cannot keep us apart._

"_Love always,  
Cyndie"_

"The man looked up and saw a shadow of another person, holding a knife above his head. He reacted quickly, kicking the man's shin and breaking his leg. The man fell, and it was none other than his business partner, Zarkas."

"The man beat his business partner until he was black and blue, then threw him into a corner of the room, leaving him there. He then went to phone the police, but as it got to the second dial, the line went dead. He pressed the receiver a few times, thinking maybe he accidentally hung up. He gave up, and turned back to the living room. His business partner wasn't there. There was no sign that he had been there to begin with.


	47. The Creepy Thin Man

Chapter 36

Everyone was in position, waiting for the moment to strike. Their target stood a few yards away, completely clueless to its upcoming doom. They watched as the target drank from the river, wiped away the water from its lips, and walk off. Sheeva took a few kunai and reared back her arm, took a breath, and flicked them at the target.

There was a sickly squeal as the kunai embedded themselves in the side of the wild boar's side. It staggered around temporarily before falling over on its side, trying to get back up in hopes of running. Sheeva rushed up to it and grabbed one of the kunai sticking out of its side and sliced its neck, turning her head away as it bled to death.

"That was _the grossest _thing I've ever had to witness." Eva stated, walking up to the river to refill her canteen. Her long brown hair, if it hadn't been tied back with a red ribbon, would be dipped in the water when she bent over. She wore black shirt and a red skirt, useful for hiding an array of small weapons she kept hidden in her boots.

"Hey, it's food. Be happy. At least this one didn't run off." Kiba protested, taking a machete and cutting the head off. Sheeva watched, admiring his courage to face the already stinking corpse. He took a hook and skewered it through the boar's neck, and attached the hook to a chain.

"Oh, please. It was an accident." Kankuro grumbled, holding open a bag for Kiba to put the boar in. He wrinkled his nose as he smelled the drying blood on the ground. They tied the top of the bag to the chain, and Kankuro grabbed it and slung it over his shoulder.

"Hopefully they finished setting up their tents. We don't have much daylight left." Kankuro stated, walking back into the forest. The rest of them walked behind him; too focused on keeping up to chat.

A crackling fire and a few pitched tents greeted them as they walked into a large clearing in the forest. They sighed happily and sat down. Kankuro chucked the prize off of his shoulder, and stretched.

"All right! I'm not cleaning that. I had to carry it." He announced, taking off his shoes and jacket.

He took a big gulp of water from his canteen and sighed.

"Sheeva, you do it." He said, burping her name.

"I killed it, Dad. I'm not cleaning it. We should make Eva do it." She suggested, giving Eva a mean smile. Eva turned pale. Kubiki laughed, and stood up at the same time as Kiba, who also offered to do it. They both offered to let the other have it, sitting back down.

"Why don't you both do it?" Temari suggested, setting up the fire. They nodded, reaching for the boar.

Mejia and Keturah were finishing setting up the last of the tents, which was supposed to be theirs. Sheeva looked around, noticing something strange. She counted the tents. One, two, three, four.

"Um…" She muttered aloud. Eva looked up.

"What?" She asked.

"There's only four tents." She stated. She looked around at the others, counting them. Temari, Mejia, Keturah, Kankuro, and Eva all stared back at her, waiting for something. She looked at the direction that Kibiki and Kiba had left.

"There's eight of us. There should be eight tents. One for each of us." She announced, looking at Mejia and Keturah. They looked around, and sighed, the guilty looks on their faces obvious. Keturah wrought her hands together, and Mejia began to twist around where he stood.

"We… screwed up. We didn't have enough for 8. We had to trade to get the fourth tent…hehe, sorry." Keturah explained. Sheeva began to laugh.

"Why didn't you just ask us?" She asked. Keturah looked at her, a sad smile on her face.

"We didn't want to use your money. You guys were buying the prepped food, and medical supplies, and-"

"-enough of that. What we need to do now is figure out who's sleeping where. There's only enough space for two people per tent." Kankuro interrupted. Eva rushed immediately to the tent on her left and stood in front of it.

"I call this one! And, I'm bunking with Sheeva!" She announced brightly. Sheeva smiled.

Kankuro nodded, shrugging. Temari thought it was strange though, and called her out on it.

"Why? You should be with Kubiki." She stated. Kankuro turned and gave his sister a death glare, hissing at her under his breath to "shut up and don't change her mind." Temari ignored him.

"Kankuro wouldn't like Kiba bunking with Sheeva, right? And it'd be pretty awkward for Kiba and you to share a tent, since you're… well, opposite genders. Mejia and Keturah have theirs already, since Mejia relies on her to be his voice. Right?" She asked. Mejia thought about it, and nodded, forming a 'y' with his hand and shaking it up and down. He was teaching them basic sign language, and she knew it meant "yes".

"I'll be damned. Kid's got a point." Kankuro blurted, grinning. He grabbed his canteen and poured a little water in his palm, splashing it on his face and wiping away the paint with a towel.

Kiba and Kubiki walked in, each holding a separate bag.

"We weren't sure if you wanted us to keep the guts, so we put it in a bag. Here you go." Kiba growled, handing it to Keturah, who took it with a confused look. She looked behind him, and Kubiki was making signs, motioning that Kiba had puked. Keturah and Mejia both smiled and chuckled. It was the wrong sign, but they got the message anyway.

"So, Kiba, you and Kubiki are sleeping in the same tent. Eva and I have the one next to you. Don't have any nightmares about the creepy thin man!" Sheeva giggled. Kiba looked at her with a slightly sarcastic look. Kubiki stared at her, curious.

"What creepy thin man?" He asked, sitting down. Kiba groaned.

"Oh _great_. This again." He muttered. Sheeva smiled, and leaned forward.

"The graveyard keeper of Sunagakure Village."

Kubiki's eyes were wide with excitement, and he leaned in. She smiled, and continued.

"They say that there was a man in Suna who kept to the graveyard. He cleaned it up, every day, walked through its grounds, cutting away the few weeds that crept up along the stones. He knew every twist and turn. If you asked him to help you find someone, he'd help you find them. All you had to do was give him a last name, birth year, or year of death." She began in a low, creepy voice. The fire popped and crackled, emitting a strange warm glow that barely seemed to touch Kubiki—he felt as cold as ice.

Eva had sat down too, curious. She had never heard this story before, even though she lived in Suna.

"This man had a family at one time, a small family. A loving wife, a happy child. They even had a cat. But the man had a horrible secret. He was plotting to steal money from his partner so that he could pay off some debts. As he was doing his usual rounds in the cemetery, he was approached by a medic. He listened, horrified and heartbroken as he heard that their son had been killed in an accident in one of the mausoleums they took care of."

"A few nights later, a night much like tonight, in fact, as he lay in his bed, he couldn't sleep. Something was bothering him—something that just… wasn't… _right_. So, he decided to take a walk in his graveyard. He didn't pay attention where he was going, and as he reached the road that led to the mausoleum that had claimed his son's life, he heard the cat's meow. Suddenly, a ghost appeared in front of him, and he recognized it as his son."

"'Teo! Teo, my boy, what are you doing? Aren't you in heaven, my boy?' He cried, running to hug him. Teo's shadow passed straight through the man's body, and he fell to his knees."

"Oh, how horrible…" Eva muttered. Kubiki wrapped his arm around her, rubbing her shoulder to comfort her.

"The little boy had not died by accident, it seemed. No… he had been murdered, by the man's partner. Teo told his father to run home, because the same fate was about to befall his mother. The man rushed towards his house, slammed open the door, and stood still, gaping at what he saw. There was his wife, hanging by her neck from the living room fan. At the floor beneath her was a letter, addressed to him. He picked it up, and began to read it."

"_My dearest:' _It began."

"_The pain that I feel towards the loss of our son is too much for my aged bones to bear. I'm afraid I'm of no further use to you, so I have rid you of my useless self. You will always be with me; death cannot keep us apart._

"_Love always,  
Cyndie"_

"The man looked up and saw a shadow of another person, holding a knife above his head. He reacted quickly, kicking the man's shin and breaking his leg. The man fell, and it was none other than his business partner, Zarkas."

"The man beat his business partner until he was black and blue, then threw him into a corner of the room, leaving him there. He then went to phone the police, but as it got to the second dial, the line went dead. He pressed the receiver a few times, thinking maybe he accidentally hung up. He gave up, and turned back to the living room. His business partner wasn't there. There was no sign that he had been there to begin with. He saw a dark flash, and turned towards it, heartbeat racing and hands shaking."

"H-hello? Wh-who's there? Za-Zarkas? Come on, now. This—this isn't funny!' He stuttered out into the darkness. He heard the floorboards creak behind him, and a hot, stinky, wet breath hit his neck. He froze, then slowly turned around, and suddenly-

-AHHHHH!" Kankuro screamed behind them, poking their sides. Eva and Kubiki screamed jumping into the air about five feet. Everybody else started to howl with laughter, clapping their hands. Eva slowly came to realize what was going on, and glared at Sheeva.

"I'm not sure I wanna share a tent with you now!" She screamed.

After things settled down, they helped themselves to a slab of boar, then crawled into their tents, muttering a sleepy good night to one another.


End file.
